Friday night, the White Hall Bulldogs and the Dumas Bobcats will face off in a non-conference battle. Both teams represent the Southeast region of the state, which has been known to produce pretty good football programs over the years.
The Bobcats, led by Head Coach Max Pennington, who is in his second year at the school, have steadily improved since his arrival. The Bulldogs, led by Head Coach Mike Vaughn, are coming off of one of their worst seasons under his tenure and they’re looking for a bounce-back season.
It was a tough stretch for White Hall last season, as they ended up win-less and at the bottom of the 5A South standings. Vaughn isn’t content at all with not winning a game, and this off-season they’ve put in extra time and work in order to prevent that from happening again.
Dumas was right on the cusp of making the playoffs with a 5-5 record but found themselves on the outside looking in. Those five wins were the most in the last four seasons for the Bobcats. Now they look to take that next step, and it’ll all start with their match up against the Bulldogs.
From the win-less team a year ago, White Hall returns 14 total starters, so experience won’t be the issue. A majority of this year’s group have taken their bumps and lumps, and they’re ready to get a taste of winning. With a new year comes new energy, confidence and a fresh start.
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The Bulldogs welcomed in senior quarterback Cameron Walden, who transferred from Sheridan in the spring. Walden is expected to get the starting job, and if shows promise, he’ll keep it, coaches said. Running back will be a strength for the Bulldogs. Lance Smith ran for close to 900 yards last season, and he has done nothing but improve over the off season.
For Dumas, quarterback hasn’t been a problem at all this off season, as Lamar Hollinshed returns for his senior campaign. Hollinshed managed successful games last season and, as a whole, the talent is there for the Bobcats. But one of their biggest problems is that they’ll face is a lack of depth.
Going 1-0 will be the overall objective for both teams entering into Friday’s contest. Dumas won’t be overlooking White Hall at all, and getting their first win under their belt will be the only thing their focused on. A win for White Hall would snap a horrible losing streak, and it’ll serve as a major win for the program.