Bulldogs Complete Historic 10-0 Run, Set Sights on Playoffs:
BANDERA, TX – The Bandera Bulldogs made history Friday night, delivering a no doubt 38-0 victory over the Carrizo Springs Wildcats to complete a perfect 10-0 regular season, the program's first since 1984. This win crowns the Bulldogs as the undisputed District Champions, and a 1-seed heading into the state playoffs, an achievement Head Coach Joel Fontenot-Amedee is already putting in perspective. "We have a long established 24-hour rule here in Bandera, America. Good, bad or ugly we give it 24 hours and then we move on," he said. "We will celebrate what we have accomplished when we are done accomplishing things. However historic, I don't think there is anyone in our building who is satisfied right now. Hungry dogs gotta eat."
The victory showcased the dominant mentality that has defined the Bulldogs' season, with both the offense and defense firing on all cylinders. The offensive unit finished the night with nearly 400 yards of total offense, starting the scoring early when quarterback Dalton Parks connected with Breydan Gherman for a 25-yard pitch and catch. Parks, who was responsible for four total touchdowns, later found Jeffry Thomas for a spectacular 52-yard touchdown pass. Thomas finished the evening as the leading receiver with 105 yards and a touchdown, while Gherman added a rushing touchdown to complete his two-score night. The ground game proved to be the workhorse, with more than half of the total offense coming from the run. Running back Juan Cabrera powered the attack, finishing his night with 112 yards, benefiting from a physical offensive line. Coach Fontenot-Amedee praised the unit, saying, "Offensively, we have dominated up front and have been intentional about spreading out the football amongst our skill players while making sure the big dog (Juan) eats."
While the offense controlled the clock, the defense completely shut down the Wildcats, earning a shutout and solidifying their place among the state's best. That 38-0 shutout propelled the Bulldogs to finish the regular season as the 3rd best statistical defense in all of 4A, allowing an average of only 11.5 points per game. The defensive unit's excellence was particularly evident in district play, where they outscored opponents by a wide margin of 163-28. Coach Fontenot Amedee attributed this dominance to execution and effort: "Our defense's relentless effort and ability to stay connected in the run game are huge reasons why we were so successful defensively throughout district play. Our guys play extremely hard. We have caused a lot of turnovers, which has also given our offense great field position."
As the team transitions from the regular season to the playoffs, Coach Fontenot-Amedee explained the next step. "We finished our second season (district play) undefeated, now we start the third season (playoffs). We will establish stretch goals and talk about what we are playing for over the course of this week." He emphasized that this team has the necessary tools for a postseason push: "We have some good football players with a ton of experience in a few key positions that has paid off for us on the stretch run of district play in all three phases of the game. We have great leaders on this team who play for each other. They are so fun to coach!"
The undefeated Bulldogs (10-0) now move on as the #1 seed to face the Gonzales Apaches this Friday. The Bi-District playoff clash is scheduled for a 7:00 PM kickoff at Harlandale Memorial Stadium in San Antonio, TX, as Bandera looks to satisfy the hunger of its historic squad.
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