“What a great win,” said Bulldog head coach Matt Woods. “Our defense played lights out. This was the most physical team we have played all year.”

Leading the Bulldogs was quarterback, Gavin Brown, who went 12-20 for 185 yards and two touchdowns. He added a running T.D. in the game. Wide out Benson Leavitt had four catches for 90 yards and Ashten Roman added 62 yards on three grabs plus a T.D. The Bulldogs other wide out Jimmy Kelley had three grabs of his own and a Bulldog T.D. Bulldog running back Kelley Duggan led the Dawgs attack with 110 yards on 12 carries. Bulldog top running back and defensive stalwart Ethan Workman returned after injury to provide needed depth and responded with 51 yards on 8 carries plus 6 tackles and 5 sacks from his linebacker position. Workman had missed the previous 8 games. “It was so good to have Ethan back, he is such a difference maker when he is on the field,” added Coach Woods. The Bulldogs got great help on the defensive side from Martin Jordan and Roman who had six and five tackles respectively.

The Indians from Elko was on the scoreboard first, scoring a touchdown and a two point conversion giving Elko an 8-0 lead. The Bulldogs got their first points of the game late in the first period on a safety cutting the lead to 8-2. Elko free kicked off to the Dawgs 39 yard line. The Bulldogs drove to the Elko 27 yard line as the first period ended. Brown hit Kelley for an 11 yard T.D. tying the game 8-8. Edgar Perez’s point after was good giving the Dawgs their first lead of the game 9-8. The Bulldog defense held Elko on the next possession forcing a punt to the Elko 34 yard line. The Dawgs good not take advantage of good field position fumbling the ball back to Elko on the 30 yard marker. Elko threatened from the Bulldogs 21 yard line with a minute left in the first half. Bulldog Isiah Frieling stepped in front of an Elko pass for an interception.

The Bulldogs wasted very little time to score to begin the second half of play. The Dawgs drove to the Elko two yard line with Brown taking it over for the T.D. Perez added the point after upping the Dawgs lead to 16-8. Not to be intimidated by the Dawgs Elko mounted a drive from their 41 yard line scoring on a run from the Dawgs 14 yard line. The two point conversion was good tying the game up 16-16. The Bulldogs took back the lead on huge pass of 65 yards and run by Brown to Roman. Perez hit his third point after making the score 23-16. Elko threatened to score with a first down on the Dawgs 10 yard line. The Bulldog defense stiffened taking the ball back on downs. Duggan got the Dawgs deep in Elko territory with a run to the Elko one yard line. The game ended shortly thereafter.

The Bulldog win assured a rematch of the ‘Hammer Game’ against Moapa at Allegiant Stadium on Thursday night in Las Vegas.  Moapa beat the North’s top seed Churchill County by a score of 42-21. The game will begin at 7Pm.