The Dora Bulldogs made the short trip to Good Hope Friday night to play the Raiders in a highly contested game. The game was pivotal in determining playoff seeding in class 4A region 6. With a win, the Bulldogs could still win the region and with a loss a road game in the first round would be guaranteed. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, they came up just short in a controversial 15-14 battle.
Good Hope started the game relying on the abilities of do-it-all quarterback Tanner Malin. The Raiders would convert three third downs with two being from 10+ yards to go on the way to scoring on the opening drive when Malin would find the end zone from 17 yards out to put Good Hope in the lead 7-0.
However, the Bulldogs defense would adjust and keep Good Hope’s offense in check for the rest of the half. Later in the half, Good Hope would make their first mistake of the game on a shanked punt that allowed Dora to start at the 23-yard line of the Raiders. Dora would capitalize on the opportunity as Jamarcus Goodmon would cap off a touchdown drive from two yards out to tie the game at 7.
The controversy would start later in the second quarter as Dora would start a drive on their own 42-yard line. The Bulldogs would call on a designed run for Garrett Hogland and he would take it 58 yards for a touchdown, only for the play to be negated for holding. Later in the drive, Hogland would connect with Mason Stewart from 37 yards out for another Dora touchdown. However, this touchdown would also be called back for holding. Dora would overcome the adversity and eventually score a third touchdown on the drive when Jamarcus Goodmon would find the end zone again from two yards out to put the Bulldogs up 14-7.
Good Hope would score the only points in the second half when they would run a trick play that would result in a pass from Paydon Bagwell to Charlie O’Neill for a touchdown. Dora would line up in the neutral zone on the extra point, so the Raiders decided to go for two and would convert it to take a 15-14 lead.
Dora would have a few opportunities to take the lead back but would ultimately fall short. Brayden Williamson would come up just short on a 36-yard field goal that would have given Dora the lead. Garrett Hogland would also be stopped late in the fourth quarter on a scramble on 4th down that came up one yard short of a first down. Dora’s defense would eventually step up to force a fourth down when Tanner Malin would be brought down on a fake punt scramble. Dora only had a few seconds remaining and a Garrett Hogland Hail Mary would eventually be batted down as time expired.
The loss drops the Bulldogs to 5-3 on the season and 3-2 in class 4A region 6 play. Good Hope improves to 6-2 on the season and 5-0 in class 4A region 6 play. Good Hope plays Oneonta next week for the region 6 title. Dora travels to Etowah in their region 6 finale. A win over Etowah would clinch the third seed in region 6 for the Bulldogs, a loss would have the Bulldogs finish fourth in the region. If Dora finishes as the third seed, it will face the Priceville Bulldogs in the first round. However, if the Bulldogs finish as the fourth seed, they would have to travel to region 8 champion the Brooks Lions.