Cardinals Clinch District 9 Title

WAITSBURG -- The WP Cardinals clinched a first round 2B state tournament berth Saturday with a 54-21 elimination of the Kettle Falls Bulldogs.

Two plays and 14 yards later, the Bulldogs found themselves on their own 39-yard line. Jesse Dodson took the handoff, slipped and bounced his way through Cardinal defenders, and the board read 0-7 Bulldogs with 10:21 left in the first.

The Cardinals' opening drive was a Billy Brown-Zach Bartlow show as the two took turns pushing the ball up the field to rest at first and goal on the Bulldog 9-yard line.

Brown was caught in the backfield with no gain and the offensive line answered as Bartlow crossed into the end zone untouched by Bulldog defenders.

Jose Barajas split the uprights with 7:41 left in the first to tie it all up at 7.

The Cardinals defense allowed just eight yards of offense before the Bulldogs fumbled and recovered the ball before punting it away from its own 10-yard line.

The Cardinals continued to put the hurtin' on the Bulldogs, driving 60 yards down the field with four carries from Brown and Bartlow before Bartlow took it across the line himself after he was unable to connect with a receiver.

Barajas went 2 for 2 on the day with 2:12 left in the first, and the Cardinals took the lead, 14-7.

The Cardinal defense sent the Dogs back to the pound on the next drive as Eshom Estes grabbed a Bulldog by his tail for a loss of two, and Jacob Cantuna took Bulldog quarterback Conner McKern by the collar dragging him back 15 yards on fourth and 2. The Cardinals took over on downs on the Bulldog 15-yard line to begin the second quarter.

It only took Bartlow seven seconds to find Dalton Estes leaping through the end zone to snatch the pigskin. Barajas extra point attempt went wide and the Cardinals were up, 20-7.

The Bulldogs completed just 12 yards of offense before Cardinal Justin Zuger knocked the ball loose on a tackle and the Cardinal took back possession after Bartlow recovered the ball on the Bulldog 40-yard line.

The Cardinal 2 point conversion was no good but the Cardinals held a commanding 26-7 lead over the Bulldogs with 4:43 left in the half.

Cardinal Chance LeRoue wrapped around McKern for a solo sack and the Bulldogs were set back five more with an encroachment call. The defense looked as if they would stop this drive as well, but a miscommunication on the coverage call cost the boys of fall 7 when McKern connected with Brandon Thomas from 48 yards out.

The Cardinals flew down the field in just 10 seconds as Brown found a hole in the line that quickly collapsed, only to bounce out the right side of the pile and not look back until he finished off a 52-yard touchdown flight. With 1:01 left in the third in the Cardinals were up, 33-14.

The Cards weren't down flying around the field. Zuger intercepted a McKern pass of their 44-yard line. Bartlow goes right back to Zuger for 13 yards, Brown for nine, and then connects with Dalton Estes for a 22-yard touchdown to end the half with a commanding Cardinal lead, 40-14. The Bulldogs began the second half with an onside kick that Cardinal Dustin Wooderchak had no problem fielding. The Cardinals drove 60 yards before Bartlow tossed one to Zuger that he snuck across the goal line. Barajas split the uprights and the Cardinals lead 47-14 with 9:12 remaining in the third.

"Another, Cardinal, touchdown," would put the game into running clock mode with 11:12 remaining. The Cardinals soared to a 54-21 victory over the Kettle Falls Bulldogs, keeping its season record untarnished at 10-0. They look to continue their winning streak this Saturday at 1 p.m. in Waitsburg against Brewster in first round state playoff action.