Bulldogs up record to 2-0 with win over Gate City

TAZEWELL – A fast and furious band of Bulldogs caged the Devils and never let them out in a 29-19 win over Gate City Aug. 29.
Tazewell got the ball first and opened the game with a 13 play drive for the first points of the game. Hard running by Dustin Dean and three Cody Lockhart to Brandon Pauley passes highlighted the drive.
Shaquile McDonald knocked the ball loose on Gate City’s first play and Tazewell recovered,. Gate City held the Bulldogs at bay on that drive but fumbled the ball again on its next possession.
Mac McGuire came up with the fumble to put Tazewell in business at the Blue Devil 16. A Lockhart to Matt Muncy pass put the first touchdown of the game on the board.
T. J. Rasnick scored his first touchdown of the season on Tazewell’s next possession. Cook was perfect on the extra point to put the Bulldogs up top 17-0. Cook booted his second field goal and Tazewell went to the halftime break leading 20-0.
The Blue Devils scored on their first possession of the second half to cut the Tazewell lead to 20-7. The Bulldogs came right back with an eight play drive that ended with Cook’s third field goal of the night.
Lockhart passed to Muncy for 22 yards and Pauley for 13 on the drive. The sophomore quarterback also had a 37 yard run to set up the score. Gate City came back with another touchdown on its next drive.
It took Nick Colobro’s team just four plays to go 65 yards with Dustin Olson getting the touchdown on a 10 yard run. The third quarter ended with Tazewell holding a 23-13 lead.
The Bulldogs got a touchdown on their first drive of the fourth quarter. A 36 yard run by Dean and a 21 yard scamper by Muncy set up the score.
Muncy got the score from six yards away to put Tazewell ahead 29-13 with 7:45 left in the contest. It took Gate City just 16 seconds to cut the margin back to 10.
Tihlee Anderson took the kick at his five yard line and went untouched 95 yards for the Gate City touchdown. Tazewell’s defense halted the Blue Devils on the try for a two point conversion.
Tazewell couldn’t move the ball on its next opportunity but Cook punted the ball 50 yards to pin the Devils deep. The Bulldog defense did its job over the final minutes of the game as Tazewell improved to 2-0 for the season.
In addition to recovering two fumbles, the defense held Anderson to just two pass completions for 25 yards. Tazewell ground out 289 yards in the game and the quarterback combination of Lockhart and Muncy was 10 of 17 for 130 yards.
Tazewell gets this week off to rest and prepare for the district opener against Carroll County. That will be the first of six straight district games for the Bulldogs, who don’t face another non district opponent until the last two weeks of the season.