Iola wins battle of the dogs

IOLA - The Iola Bulldogs won the battle of the Bulldogs 20-14, over district-foe Bartlett Friday, Oct. 8.

Iola (2-1) scored a season high 20 points on their way to the win. “We need this one, for confidence and for all kinds of reasons, this one puts us back in the race,” said Iola Head Coach Kerry Bamburg, on the importance of winning the game.

The Bulldogs offense has struggled to move down the field all season, with Iola not being able to score more than two touchdowns in a game. Iola quarterback Brian Crosby had his season-high in pass attempts and also had 58 yards on 14 rush ing attempts and two touchdowns. Blake Bennett scored the other touchdown. He finished with 104 yards on 17 rushing attempts.

As much as the offense has improved, the defense has been the backbone of the team. Iola’s defense has managed to keep all games, except the first two games, one score games. One of the reasons they manage to keep the games so close is their ability to take the ball away. The offense doesn’t always capitalize on the takeaways, but it has allowed the team to stop teams in the red zone.

Iola will look to continue their momentum against the undefeated Granger Lions Friday October 15, at Lions Stadium in Granger. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. Bartlett will host Burton.