Bulldogs, Lions Meet in Preseason Scrimmage

By Jason Jones

Messenger Reporter

CROCKETT – The Crockett Bulldogs entertained the JV and Varsity squads from Franklin High School on a hot Friday afternoon at Bulldog Stadium. Enthusiasm was high on the sidelines, and a decent crowd gathered on both sides of the field to witness the beginning of high school football in East Texas.

The Bulldogs started the evening on offense. Establishing the running game proved to be difficult against a state-ranked Franklin team whose run defense seemed to be operating in mid-season form. After quite a few tries at moving the ground game forward, the Bulldogs decided to test the air. Quarterback Jadyn Collins unleashed a 56-yard pass which set up a 17-yard touchdown strike just a few plays later. This would set the tone for the Bulldogs’ success for the remainder of the scrimmage.

On defense, the Bulldogs met the Franklin running game, which like the defense, arrived in mid-season stride. Franklin opened immediately with a 35-yard run, and didn’t slow down. Franklin scored twice during their first turn at offense, and never looked back.

The remainder of the scrimmage followed suit. Crockett was able to complete several good passes, including a long of 63 yards and a second scoring toss of 20 yards, but the team was never really able to get the ground game going against the formidable Lions’ run defense.

Overall, the Bulldogs had a measure of success against a ranked opponent, and should move forward with a sense of optimism, as well as a blueprint on where to improve for a solid 2021-22 season.

Jason Jones may be reached via email at [email protected].