Hawley halts Marlin's hopes for state title
The Marlin Bulldogs were eliminated from the playoffs in the semi-finals as they fell to the Hawley Bearkats in a heartbreaker 19-12 on Dec. 9.
The first half was a defensive battle with both offenses having trouble moving the ball. Both teams struggled with turnovers and turnovers of possessions on loss of downs. The game almost went in to the second half scoreless until Hawley scored on a 2-yard rushing touchdown with two minutes left on the first half clock. This gave the Bearkats a 7-0 lead going into halftime.
Marlin kicked the ball off to start the second half. Hawley marched up the field and scored on a 1-yard touchdown run for a 13-0 lead after a missed extra point by the Bearkats. The Bulldogs came back out on offense and answered back with an exciting 68-yard screen pass from Desmond Woodson (7) to Trajon Butler (0) for a touchdown as he showed spectacular athleticism and avoided tacklers. This made the score 13-6 after a failed two point conversion. The defense for Marlin came back out and played strong as they stopped a fourth and 12 fake punt by Hawley for a turnover on downs.
The offense quickly rewarded the defense with a 26-yard pass from Woodson to Butler, which was followed by a 1-yard touchdown run by Derion Gullette (4) on a wildcat play, where he lined up in the quarterback spot for a score of 13-12 after another failed two point conversion. The defense continued to play tough and forced another punt by Hawley. The offense started off the drive with a nice 14-yard run by Ty Harris (2). The third quarter ended with Hawley still leading 13-12.
Marlin was able to convert a fourth and 2 but couldn’t go much further as they eventually had to punt the ball. The Bulldog defense allowed a 19-yard touchdown pass for a 19-12 deficit after Marlin blocked the extra point. Marlin tried to make one more effort for a game winning drive. They gave themselves a chance with a 16-yard pass by Woodson to Gullette to put them inside the 30-yard line. Their chances of a game winning drive ended as they would give up a fumble that was recovered by Hawley at the 1-yard line. After giving up some critical first downs, the Bearkats were able to drain the clock and get the victory over Marlin 19-12.
Desmond Woodson played well as he passed for 147 yards and a touchdown along with rushing for 65 yards as well. Ty Harris also had a good game as he rushed for 93 yards and averaged 8.5 yards per carry. Trajon Butler was great as he had 118 receiving yards and a touchdown.
The entire community is proud of the Bulldogs and their efforts this season. There are great things to come in the future!