Rick Patrick rick@greenepublishing.com It was an evening in which one team would pick up their first win of the young 2025 football season when the Madison County High School (MCHS) Cowboys hosted a long-time rival, the Suwannee High School Bulldogs, on Friday, Sept. 5. In the end, it would be the Cowboys who would finish the contest with a 49-14 victory. The game began with the Bulldogs taking their opening offensive drive 74 yards, capped off with a 12-yard touchdown pass. The ensuing point-after-touchdown (PAT) kick was good and the score was 7-0, in favor of the Bulldogs with 8:57 still to play in the first quarter. The Cowboys' first offensive drive began at their own 36-yard line. From there, Na'Quez Christian galloped 60 yards for a Cowboy touchdown. The PAT attempt was no good, and the score was 7-6, still in favor of the Bulldogs, with 7:19 remaining in the opening period. The next Bulldog drive began at their own 21-yard line, but was cut short when the Cowboys recovered a fumble at the Bulldogs' 36-yard line. That Cowboy drive was capped off by a three-yard touchdown, run by LJ Crumity. The Cowboys successfully converted a two-point conversion and the score was 14-7, with the Cowboys in the lead at the 4:43 mark of the first quarter. The following Bulldog drive resulted in a turn-over on downs at the Cowboy 33-yard line. The Cowboys failed to gain a first down on that drive, going three-and-out. The first quarter ended with the Cowboys ahead, 14-7. The second quarter began with the Bulldogs at their own 19-yard line. The Bulldogs proceeded to march down the field to score a touchdown on a three-yard run. The Bulldogs tacked on one more point with a successful PAT, tying the score at 14-14, with 6:50 remaining until intermission. The Cowboys responded quickly with a 62-yard scoring drive that ended when Travis Arnold toted the ball 12 yards across the goal line. The PAT kick missed the mark and the score was now 20-14, with 5:23 remaining in the second quarter. The Bulldogs went three-and-out from their own 33-yard line. On the following punt, an errant snap was recovered by the Cowboys at the Bulldogs' 11-yard line. Then, Christian ran his second touchdown of the evening, when he carried the pigskin six yards into the endzone. A successful two-point conversion gave the Cowboys a 28-14 advantage, with 2:55 remaining in the first half of play. In the waning moments of the second quarter, each team had offensive possessions that failed to yield any points, and the score was 28-14, in favor of the Cowboys, as the first half drew to a close. The Cowboys had good field position to begin the third quarter, thanks to a second-half opening kickoff return to the Bulldogs' 40-yard line. The Cowboys mounted another successful scoring drive that was finished off by a Christian 15-yard touchdown run. After another good two-point conversion, the Cowboys held a commanding 36-14 lead, with 9:43 still to play in the third quarter. The Bulldogs went three-and-out on their next possession, giving the ball back to the Cowboys near mid-field. The Cowboys moved the ball closer to the endzone, however, a called fumble rolled through the endzone, resulting in a touchback. This gave pigskin possession back to the Bulldogs at the 20-yard line. The Bulldogs failed to convert a first down and were forced to punt the ball to the Cowboys, who took over at the Bulldogs' 45-yard line. The remaining moments to the third period saw the Cowboys moving the ball closer. Then, Crumity hit Christian with a 15-yard touchdown pass. The following PAT was good, and the Cowboys had extended their lead to 43-14, with seven clicks of the clock remaining in the third quarter. On the following kickoff, the Bulldog return man nearly took the ball coast-to-coast, but was brought down at the Cowboys' 10-yard line. The Bulldogs were unable to capitalize on this field position. The potential scoring drive was halted when the Cowboys intercepted a pass, regaining control of the ball at the 24-yard line. The Cowboys moved to the Bulldogs' 24-yard line before turning the ball over on downs. The Bulldogs moved to the Cowboys' 35-yard line before giving the ball back to the Cowboys with another turnover-on-downs at the Cowboys' 35-yard line. The Cowboys scored quickly when Michael Pride ran 65 yards to paydirt in the last minute of the contest. The PAT attempt was no good and the final score of the game was 49-14, giving the Cowboys their first win of the season. Christian had a total of 164 all-purpose yards for the Cowboys, including three touchdowns. LJ Crumity went three-for-four passing, for 48 yards and a touchdown. Christian was named the Offensive Player of the Week for the Cowboys. Travis Arnold was the Defensive Player of the Week. The Special Teams Player of the Week was Zay West. The “Hawg” of the Week was Laddis Fead. Next up for the Cowboys will be a game against the Tigers of Columbia High School. The game will take place at Boot Hill Stadium on Friday, Sept. 12. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m.
