PAWLING — Two undefeated teams entered the field on Friday night, but only one remained after the game. Pawling pulled out all the stops, showing off their weapons and using a strong second half to stunt the Bulldogs in a 36-6 victory.

The Bulldogs had the cards stacked against them from the jump, with their starting center out for the game. Low snaps set the tone on their first drive, forcing the Bulldogs to punt after receiving the opening kickoff.

Pawling started on their own 47 after the punt, driving into Bulldogs territory before turning the ball over on downs at the Sullivan West 35.

Snap troubles continued as the Bulldogs lost a fumble and Pawling took over deeper in Sullivan West territory.

Pawling capitalized on the opportunity, scoring with 4:50 left in the first quarter and converting the 2-point conversion to take an 8-0 lead.

Sullivan West was forced to punt on their next drive, but Pawling tipped the punt and returned it for a touchdown to make it 14-0 with 3:36 to play in the first.

Sullivan West punted again on their next time, but this time the ball took a Sullivan West bounce and rolled all the way to the Pawling 17.

Pawling fumbled the ball and it was recovered by the Bulldogs at the 20-yard-line.

WIth 42 seconds left in the quarter, the Bulldogs got on the board with a passing touchdown to cut the Pawling lead to 14-6.

On the Bulldogs’ next offensive drive, a big run by Rally Cruz looked like it would lead to an equalizing score, but a horsecollar tackle from behind brought the senior down. The additional penalty yards brought Sullivan West down to the Pawling 28, but it paid off for the Tigers after another forced fumble returned the ball to the home team.

Pawling drove the length of the field but threw a red zone interception, returning the ball to the Bulldogs with their backs against their own end zone.

Sullivan West attempted to move the ball up the field but ran out of time before the half, and the two teams went into the break with the Tigers still leading 14-6.

The second half was a forgettable one for Sullivan West. Injuries began piling up for the visitors, and Pawling was able to capitalize. The Tigers extended their lead with a touchdown with 4:53 remaining in the third to increase the lead to 20-6. 

The next drive for Sullivan West ended in a tipped pass pick-6 for the Pawling defense with 4:45 remaining to extend the lead to 28-6 after a successful 2-point conversion.

Pawling’s 16 points in less than ten seconds essentially put the game out of reach in the third quarter, but the Tigers had one more in them before the end of the game.

Sullivan West had a great look at the end zone after a forced fumble set them up at the Pawling 11, but a goalline interception kept the Bulldogs off the board.

Pawling’s final score came with 10:18 remaining in the game, and the fourth quarter moved quickly as the Bulldogs ran out of time.

“We knew this was a great team, being undefeated on this side of the river,” Bulldogs Asst. Coach Justin Diehl said. “They capitalized on our mistakes, but it gave us a better idea of what we’ll see from them in the future.”

8-Man playoffs start this weekend, and both Pawling and Sullivan West earned a bye-week for finishing at the top of their respective divisions. The Bulldogs will have a chance to heal up from their injuries before facing off against the winner of the Fallsburg and Tri-Valley game on Friday.