Friday night was homecoming at Gleason High School, but the visiting West Carroll War Eagles put a damper on homecoming festivities as they thoroughly dominated the Bulldogs 54-13.
The score was tied 7-7 at the end of the first quarter, but a big second quarter for West Carroll had the War Eagles up 36-13 at the half. West Carroll continued to pull ahead to lead 42-13 at the end of the third quarter and then outscored Gleason 12-0 in the fourth.
Dylan Cox put a stop to Gleason’s opening possession with a pass interception, and then the War Eagles made good on the turnover with a successful drive that ended with a six-yard pass from quarterback Xander Moon to Jack Barrow and a good PAT kick by Dakota Saunders.
But the Bulldogs quickly replied with a 50-plus-yard scoring pass and a well-aimed kick to tie it up 7-7.
The War Eagles scored early in the second quarter on a nine-yard carry by Tyler Shaddon, followed by a two-point pass from Moon to Cox.
On Gleason’s subsequent possession, another long bomb pass put the Bulldogs on West Carroll’s one-yard line, and they scored on the next play. The conversion attempt, however, failed, leaving West Carroll ahead 15-13.
Less than a minute later, Moon ran it in from 30 yards out, and Shaddon carried in the conversion for a 23-13 West Carroll advantage.
A pass interception by Seth Edwards put the ball back in West Carroll’s hands, and the War Eagles capitalized a few plays later with a 15-yard touchdown run by Moon, whose pass fell incomplete on the conversion attempt.
The War Eagles snuck in another score before the half after Cox recovered a Gleason fumble and ran it deep into Bulldog territory. Two plays later, Malik Lee put it in from one yard out, and Saunders added the kick.
The third quarter featured a 58-yard breakaway touchdown run by Moon and another pass interception by Cox.
Lee scored again, this time from three yards out, two minutes into the fourth quarter, and Jay Long put the final points on the scoreboard with a 37-yard carry on a fourth down with 1:37 left in the game.
The Bulldogs got within striking distance on their last drive but were stopped short.
The War Eagles will be on the road at Gibson County Friday night.
