Muldrow grabs ‘really big win’ at Seminole Friday

Muldrow overcame a first-period deficit and outscored the Chieftains 21-6 in the final 12 minutes Friday night inside Chieftain Stadium as the Bulldogs solidified their playoff chances with a 35-12 District 3A-3 win at Seminole.

Muldrow (6-1 overall and 2-1 in the district) visits Class 3A No. 7 Stigler (6-0 and 2-0) Thursday night and Seminole (3-3 and 1-2) plays at top-ranked Lincoln Christian (5-1 and 2-0).

Seminole took a 6-0 lead with 5:39 left in the opening period Friday night on a 3-yard touchdown run by quarterback Dontre Garfield.

Muldrow defensive back Trenden Collins returned a fumble 48 yards for a touchdown with 9:16 to go in the second stanza and David Frias‚ point-after kick gave the Bulldogs a 7-6 advantage.

Collins ran for a 12-yard touchdown with 8:22 remaining in the third quarter and Frias‚ extra point made the score 146.

Early (10:23) in the final frame the Bulldogs‚ Eli Crumrine crossed the goal line after a 15-yard run and Muldrow led 21-6 following Frias‚ kick.

Nearly three minutes later Collins raced 71 yards for his third touchdown of the contest, and after Garfield rushed for a 4-yard TD for the Chieftains Collins ran 31 for his final touchdown. Frias‚ fifth PAT of the night with 2:03 to go in the game ended the scoring.

“It was a really, really big win,” Muldrow head coach Brandon Ellis said. “It was the first time I had every played down there and a big-time win for us. I couldn‚t be more proud of the kids. Everybody was excited and we traveled well.”

Muldrow totaled three touchdowns in the fourth quarter.

“I think we ended up just wearing them down,” said Ellis. “In the fourth quarter Trenden had a 30-yard punt return and one play later right after that Eli punched it in and I think it just kind of broke their back.

“We came out after halftime and the defense held them to a three-and-out and we just took it and physically wore them out.

“They had some good looking guys. That No. 9 (Miguel Conley) for them, a linebacker, was really, really good.

“At the first of the game we drove a little bit and stalled out, and again, it‚s been our norm every week is our defense has stepped up to the challenge. There at halftime we came in and made adjustments and then we just take long drives and take time off the clock.”

Muldrow‚s leading tacklers in the game were Crumrine (11 total tackles), Cody Gibbs (10), Collins (9), Jerrard Palmer (7), Denver Click (6), Frias and Will Stratmann (5 each), Bryson Limore (4) and Camden Matthews (3).

Gibbs, Click, Palmer and Crumrine each registered two tackles for loss and Limore had one and Crumrine and Limore recorded a sack apiece.

Jacob Gregory and Crumrine each caused a fumble and Collins and Limore recovered the turnovers.

Collins rushed for 228 yards and three touchdowns on 28 carries, Matthews had 67 yards on 13 attempts and Crumrine totaled 58 yards and a TD on eight runs.

Matthews completed 3-of-6 passes for 37 yards to Bobby Plank (2 catches for 31 yards) and Limore (1 for 6).

Garfield completed 17-of-24 throws for 86 yards for the Chieftains.