LAKE HUNTINGTON – Ahead of this Friday night game, the Bulldogs and Yellowjackets were almost even in their win/loss records. Both teams had suffered just one loss this season before heading into this highly anticipated matchup. 

The Yellowjackets came out strong in the opening minutes with Koen McGill scoring on a kickoff return. On an interception by McGill on a Bulldog possession, the Yellowjackets put themselves in prime position for their next play; James Deyermond, getting into the endzone, who finished the night with 123 receiving yards. 

After the ‘jackets secured the two-point conversion, they would take a 14-0 lead over the home team. After two Yellowjacket penalties, the Bulldogs’ Jesse Milk put the home team on the board. The touchdown and easy two-point conversion for the ‘dogs brought the score to 8-14. By the end of the first quarter, the Bulldogs had evened the score at 14. On the opening kickoff in the second quarter, Connor Ranaudo of the Yellowjackets ran it in for a touchdown, but a holding penalty against the offense deemed the touchdown no good, putting the Bulldogs at the 45-yard line for a first and 10. 

With another turnover on downs for the ‘jackets, on the ensuing play, the Bulldogs scored a touchdown and secured the two-point conversion to take the lead over the Yellowjackets, the Bulldogs’ first lead of the game. 

In the second quarter of the game, the teams battled back and forth for the lead 22-20, Bulldogs- 28-22, Yellowjackets- and 28 all, late in the third. On a first and goal from the four-yard line, the Bulldogs’ Dominick Depaola recovered a Yellowjackets fumble to give SW a first down from their own 17-yard line. The final pass of the quarter was intercepted. At halftime, the score was tied at 36. The second half of the game would tell the tale of who would come out on top in the game. 

Late in the fourth quarter, the Yellowjackets took a 42-36 lead, but another foil on a third two-point conversion would keep the Bulldogs close. With 3:24 left on the clock, the Bulldogs’ Alec Hubert ran in another touchdown and SW easily added the two extra points on the play, sealing a close 52-48 win over the Yellowjackets. 

The ‘jackets drop to 4-2 on the season, while the Bulldogs advance to 4-1. 

After their loss Yellowjackets’ head coach Sean McAveney said, “ I am proud of how the team fought tonight. We lost, not for a lack of effort, but too many mistakes.  When you play a good football team, you have to limit mistakes and execute at a high level.  We played well on offense, but did not on defense.  Ultimately, our defensive performance was the reason we lost.  It was a bad night to be a defensie coordinator. 

“We have to put this game behind us and look ahead to next week.  We need to correct our mistakes and work on being a more fundamentally sound football team.”