On Tuesday, February 20, the Bulldogs traveled to Jacksonville. It wasn’t just the players, coaches, and parents--there were also many students who rode the Spirit Bus to support their Bulldogs. The team advanced to the semi-finals after defeating Chipley in the district playoffs and Walton in the semi-quarterfinals.

At the beginning of the game the Trojans were leading the Bulldogs. Time and time again the ‘Dogs would come back and go neck and neck with the Trojans. By half time, the score was 28-34, with the Trojans in the lead.

In the second half, the Bulldogs were close behind the leading Trojans, but our guys began to slowly wear down. The ‘Dogs were hanging on in the fourth quarter. It was amazing how the Trojans’ five players were ALL over the court. The cheerleaders, fans, and parents refused to quit cheering as the boys hustled until the end.

The ‘Dogs put up a great fight, but fell to the Trojans 72-52. Coach Travis Blanton offered these words: “Our boys played their hearts out and never quit. They gave it 100% ‘til the final buzzer sounded, and I’m proud of them for that. We came further than we’ve been with this group of boys and they have nothing to hang their heads about. I want to thank all the fans who made the trip and supported us all year and my assistants, especially Greg Nable and Travis Ephriam, the managers and scorekeepers, just everyone who had a part in our season this year.” We look forward to next year’s Bulldogs giving it their best shot.

In a related event, Bulldog Tyler Wilson won both the district and regional 3-point shooter competition and will advance to the state finals this weekend in Lakeland. Tyler is pictured in the Photo Gallery link with this article.

Click the Photo Gallery link to view pictures of the pep rally held before the team’s departure to Jacksonville, as well as other basketball photos.