By Gary Thomas

Since 1996, 28 football seasons, the Brantley Bulldogs have always been a fixture in the AHSAA playoffs. But this past Friday night their championship hopes came to a crashing halt at Williams-Vickery Field as the McKenzie Tigers dealt the Dogs a 52-44 defeat. 

Brantley gave it their best scoring shot. With 19 seconds to go in the game, Brantley quarterback Jayden Parks hit Daylen Davis on a 9-yard passing play. Running back Tyler Carter’s PAT play was good as the score stood at Tigers 52, Dogs 44, but it wasn’t enough for a Brantley win.

Everyone in the stands knew what would be coming up. That would be an on-side kick that was recovered by McKenzie Skylar Sanders to seal the Tigers’ big 1A Region 1 victory. 

Brantley got on the board first with 3:22 left in the first quarter when quarterback Parks took the Dogs down the field to give Brantley high school 6-0 lead. McKenzie returned the kick for a Tiger touchdown. The two point PAT run was good to give them a 8 to 6 lead. 

The two teams would battle to stay ahead the rest of the night. On the Tigers’ next possession play, Jackson passes to his brother Jay Jackson for the Tigers’ second touchdown as they built a 10 points 16 to 6 lead over the Bulldogs. 

Bradley got their second touchdown, then McKenzie answered with a touchdown pass from Quay to Sanders to extend the Tigers’ advantage to 24-14. Brantley scored late in the first half and heading into the locker room, the game was in the Tigers’ favor 24-22. 

To start the second half tiger tailback Ayden Wilsey extended the Mckenzie lead with a one-yard blast into the Bulldogs end zone. The two-point play on the PAT was good, as the Tigers’ advantage went to 32 to 22. But the Bulldogs cut into the Tiger lead to make the score Tigers 32, Dogs 30 going into the fourth quarter 

Brantley got into the end zone to take a 36 to 32 lead. Jay Jackson made a long touchdown reception from Quay Jackson to take the lead for Mckenzie as the score stood 38 to 36. Quay Jackson on a quarterback run makes McKenzie at 44 to 36 with six minutes left in the game. Aiden Wilsey extended the McKenzie lead again with a touchdown run. Mkenzie built it played to 52 to 36 with less than three minutes remaining. 

But Bradley, with no time left, made one more shot to close out the scoring. The final score was Mckenzie 52, Brandley 44. 

For Brantley, the loss  spells doom for the dogs as they will miss this year‘s state playoffs.