HOWARD – The East Knox Bulldogs football team struggled with the Northmor Knights in a scoreless deadlock in a Knox Morrow Athletic Conference clash at Chet Looney Stadium.
It was a true dogfight to the bitter end. That is, until the Bulldogs rose up in the fourth quarter.
Bulldogs' running back Ian Toller scored the game’s only two touchdowns in the final 3 minutes and 44 seconds, lifting host East Knox to a 13-0 win in a heated contest that had all of the intensity of a postseason game.
“It was our resiliency, as a team,” Toller said. “It doesn’t matter who it is. Anywhere, anytime and anyplace. This team will come out and play. I’m a senior and this is Senior Night. There’s nothing sweeter than this. Nothing.”
The Bulldogs sputtered and made mistakes on offense in the first half, much like they did against Fredericktown last week. They fumbled, had an interception and were assessed four of their five penalties in the first half, which killed a couple of key offensive plays. But their defense kept them in the game.
East Knox quarterback Peyton Lester (14-of-21, 163 yards, one INT, one TD) was 8 of 14 passing for 95 yards in the opening half. Toller had 35 first-half yards against a sizable Northmor defense.
It was in the fading moments of the third quarter that the Bulldogs caught fire. In a moment that could have cost East Knox the game, Knights’ running back Max Lower (15 carries, 80 yards) broke a 48-yard run down the right sideline, only to be brought down from behind by Bulldogs’ defensive back Blake Bonham at the East Knox 20. The Bulldogs’ defense, which has held Northmor scoreless for eight straight quarters, stopped the Knights cold and got the ball back at their own 17.
“I was on the back side, jamming No. 3,” Bonham said. “Then, I saw (Lower) break free and I gave it everything I had to go get him.”
The East Knox defense tightened their grip on the Knights in the final quarter. Then the Bulldogs’ offense got a boost. Lester, who went 6-for-7 passing in the second half and found Toller with a 6-yard TD pass with 3:44 to go in the game.
A minute-and-a-half later, Toller ran for a 15-yard touchdown to finish off the Knights.
“Anytime you get a win, that’s a great day,” East Knox coach Cody Reese said. “I’m just excited at how our boys played. Kids were stepping up and making plays. We’ve got to have guys do that and they did a great job.”
Next up, the Bulldogs travel to Centerburg to play the Trojans and Northmor returns home to play Cardington Lincoln. Both league games are scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m.
