Bulldogs stay unbeaten with road win at Sallisaw

LEA LESSLEY SPORTS WRITER

Muldrow outscored the Black Diamonds 21-0 in the third period of Friday‚s non-district high school football game inside Perry F. Lattimore Stadium as the unbeaten Bulldogs improved to 3-0 for the season with a 38-17 victory over the Black Diamonds.

In their final non-district games of the season Friday night the Bulldogs visit Spiro and the Black Diamonds (0-2 overall) travel to Tahlequah.

“The kids played so hard, they played four quarters,” Muldrow head coach Brandon Ellis said. “I was proud of them that coming in at halftime I didn‚t know how we were going to come out being tied up (10-all). We challenged them, all the coaches challenged them in there and they took it and ran with it.

“It was a great win for the town, for the players, for the coaches, for the admin, and I guess there was some history behind hit. Anytime we can walk away with a win it‚s great.”

Prior to last season‚s 27-6 loss at Muldrow the Black Diamonds had won 23 of the 27 previous meetings in the rivalry (the teams didn‚t play in 2016 and ‚17), dating back to 1992. Muldrow won in 2015 and 1999 and before Friday night the Bulldogs had not won two straight games in the series since 1994 and ‚95.

In the opening period of Friday‚s game Sallisaw grabbed a 3-0 lead on Christian Taylor‚s 37-yard field goal with 9:32 left after taking advantage of a roughing the kicker penalty. Other key plays in the scoring drive were 11 and 10-yard completions to wide receiver Sim Kilpatrick from quarterback Parker Jackson and a 10-yard reception by tight end Braxton Lamb.

Muldrow‚s Jacob Gregory returned the ensuing kickoff 38 yards to the Black Diamonds‚ 43 but four plays later Sallisaw defensive back Parker Pratt intercepted a pass at the 32.

Almost midway through the quarter Muldrow running back Trenden Collins ran for a 4-yard touchdown to put the Bulldogs on the board and the visitors led 7-3 following the extra-point kick by David Frias. On first down of the series Collins scampered 40 yards to the Sallisaw 5.

Sallisaw‚s Ashton Foster returned the next kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown with 5:45 left in the second and Taylor‚s point-after kick put the Black Diamonds in front 10-7.

Moments later Muldrow running back Eli Crumrine caught a 21-yard pass from quarterback Camden Matthews to take the Bulldogs to the Sallisaw 19 and 56 seconds into the second stanza Frias‚ 30yard field goal tied the score at 10-10.

Muldrow defensive back Bobby Plank intercepted a pass at the Sallisaw 34 with 10:46 remaining but the Bulldogs turned the ball over on downs at the 31 following three incomplete passes.

On Sallisaw‚s next offensive series 12 and 8-yard receptions by Lamb and running back Broque Oft, respectively, helped Sallisaw advance to the Muldrow 27 but a 5-yard loss, a pair of penalties, an incomplete pass and a sack moved the Black Diamonds to the Muldrow 48.

Four Collins‚ runs netted 27 yards on the Bulldogs‚ final offensive series of the half and Crumrine‚s 15-yard reception took Muldrow to the Sallisaw 42 but an incomplete pass on a fourth-and-1 from the 33 gave the ball back to the Black Diamonds.

Early in the third period a 25-yard run by Collins gave Muldrow a first down at the Sallisaw 27 but the series stalled at the 38 following a penalty and a 9-yard sack.

On a second-down play from the Sallisaw 29 Muldrow linebacker Jerrard Palmer‚s strip and 30-yard return to the 2 gave the ball back to the Bulldogs and on first down Collins raced around the right end in the to end zone for a touchdown. Muldrow led 17-10 with 7:40 remaining after the PAT.

Following a Sallisaw punt Collins raced 41 yards for a touchdown on Muldrow‚s first play before Frias‚ extra point with 5:11 to go made the score 24-10.

Foster returned the ensuing kickoff 27 yards to the Sallisaw 42 but the series ended at the 47 after a fakepunt run came up five yards short of a first down.

Crumrine rambled 9 yards for Muldrow‚s third TD of the quarter with 23 seconds left and the Bulldogs led 3110 after the extra point.

Kilpatrick‚s 29-yard kickoff return and a personal foul penalty against the Bulldogs gave Sallisaw a first down at the Muldrow 39 and Foster ended the period with a 12-yard run. On fourth-and-4 Jackson completed a 21-yard touchdown pass to Kilpatrick in the north end zone and Taylor‚s point-after kick with 10:48 to go cut the deficit to 14 (31-17).

After the Black Diamonds reached the Muldrow 8 with about three minutes remaining on their next series Plank intercepted his second pass of the game and returned it 48 yards to the Sallisaw 44. Three plays later Collins ran for an 18-yard TD, his fourth of the contest, and Frias‚ point-after kick ended the scoring.

Gregory intercepted a pass with 1:46 remaining.

Collins rushed for 277 yards and four TDs on 28 carries in the game and Crumrine added 29 yards and a touchdown on six attempts.

“Four (Collins) is an outstanding player,” Sallisaw head coach Mark Hutson said. “He‚s one of the better athletes in this area and across the state. He did a nice job carrying the ball.

“We kicked off in the third quarter, went back and forth on it and they were able to take the lead with a couple of runs by No. 4 and they wound up going up as high as 31-17.

“In the fourth quarter we battled back. We took it down to the red zone and were trying to make it a one-score game but we had some discrepancy with our (pass) route. We threw an interception but Parker Jackson showed great effort by making the play right there. We were hoping to go in right there, make it a onescore game and then attempt an onside kick.”

Matthews completed 5-of 13 passes for 50 yards and Muldrow‚s receivers were Crumrine (2 catches for 56 yards), Cody Gibbs (2 for 13) and Collins (1 for 1).

Gregory (38 yards) and Gibbs (15) each returned a kickoff in the contest.

Plank intercepted two throws for the Bulldogs and Palmer recovered a fumble.

Parker Jackson completed 17-of-30 passes for 157 yards and a touchdown. Sallisaw‚s receivers were Kilpatrick (4 catches for 54 yards and a touchdown), Lamb (6 for 39), Oft (3 for 30), Cooper Jackson (3 for 26) and Charlie Martin (1 for 8).

Foster was Sallisaw‚s leading rusher with 25 yards on seven carries and Cooper Jackson added 23 yards on six tries.

Foster totaled 173 yards and a touchdown on his five kickoff returns and Kilpatrick returned one for 29 yards.

P r a t t inter cepted a pass for the Black Diamonds in the game.

LEA LESSLEY •TIMES

Sallisaw quarterback Parker Jackson launches a pass while being pressured by Muldrow defender Eli Crumrine during last week‚s high school football contest at Sallisaw. The Black Diamonds, who visit Tahlequah Friday night, lost 38-17 to the Bulldogs.

Muldrow running back Trenden Collins tries to get to the edge during last week‚s high school football game at Sallisaw. The Bulldogs, who travel to Spiro on Friday, improved to 3-0 for the season with a 38-17 win over the Black Diamonds (0-2).