Turnovers, Mistakes Doom Bullard in 38-27 Loss to China Spring

CORSICANA -- Bullard moved the ball with authority against China Spring on Friday night, but mistakes will always get you in the end, and the Panthers left Tiger Stadium with their first loss of 2014.

China Spring scored 14 points off two major Bullard miscues and Keaton Dudik scored three touchdowns in the Cougars' 38-27 win over the Panthers in a rare non-district meeting at a neutral field.

The Cougars (3-1) scored a touchdown after a Bullard (3-1) fumble in the second quarter and another on a botched punt attempt in the third to keep the Panthers from getting too close.

Dudik, who ran for 188 yards on 28 carries, scored on a 26-yard touchdown run five plays after a Bullard fumble in the second quarter to put China Spring up 17-7 with 6:29 left in the first half.

Bullard was able to get within three right before the half on a 3-yard touchdown run by Chris Bradford, but the third quarter pendulum did not swing Bullard's way.

Dudik opened the second half with a 65-yard kickoff return to the Bullard 25. He punched it in from 1 yard out four plays later to put the Cougars up 24-14.

A snap over the Bullard punter's head netted a minus-11 yard punt for the Panthers on their ensuing drive, and the Cougars only needed three plays to get in from the 21-yard line. Brett Cain waltzed in for a 4-yard touchdown to put China Spring up 31-14 less than five minutes into the third quarter.

Bullard lost another fumble and also had an interception. But the dagger came in the third quarter when the Panthers started at their own 1-yard line, made it all the way to the China Spring 10, but turned the ball over on downs after failing to convert a fourth-and-1.

Bullard had few problems moving the ball offensively, highlighted by a 229-yard performance from running back Brentavian Henderson on 24 carries. The Panthers rushed for 261 yards and averaged more than 5 yards per carry in the loss.

Henderson scored his only touchdown -- a 1-yard run -- with 14 seconds left in the third quarter to get Bullard within 10 at 31-21. But China Spring opened the fourth quarter with a 10-play, 79-yard drive capped by a 19-yard touchdown pass from Kameron Coe to Cutter Haigood to put the game out of reach.

The China Spring defense frustrated Bullard quarterback Connor Mebane all night, recording four sacks of at least 12 yards lost. Mebane was good on his legs besides the sacks, rushing for two touchdowns. He rushed for 102 yards on plays that didn't end in sacks, but finished with just 42 yards on 15 carries.

He completed 4 of 15 passes for 92 yards with an interception in the loss. Koe was 12 of 19 passing for 148 yards and a touchdown in the win, completing eight of his first 10 attempts.

Bullard entertains White Oak at 7:30 p.m. Friday (Sept. 26) in its final non-district game before opening District 5-4A Division II against Emory Rains on Oct. 10.

China Spring 38, Bullard 27

At Tiger Stadium, Corsicana

Bullard                   7      7      7     6    --    27
China Spring         7     10    14     7     --   38
First Quarter
CS--Keaton Dudik 7 run (Kameron Coe kick), 6:54
BUL--Connor Mebane 25 run (Zach Aldridge kick), 2:42
Second Quarter
CS--Coe 31 FG, 9:51
CS--Dudik 26 run (Coe kick), 6:29
BUL--Chris Bradford 3 run (Aldridge kick), :14
Third Quarter
CS--Dudik 1 run (Coe kick), 10:24
CS--Brett Cain 4 run (Coe kick), 7:27
BUL--Brentavian Henderson 1 run (Aldridge kick), :14
Fourth Quarter
CS--Cutter Haigood 19 pass from Coe (Coe kick), 9:12
BUL--Mebane 3 run (kick failed), 4:26

                                        BUL               CS
First Downs                        21                 21
Total Yards                       353               329
Rushes-Yards               52-261         39-181
Passing Yards                    92                148
Comp.-Att.-Int.             4-15-1         14-23-0
Punts-Avg.                   3-27.6            4-34.0
Fumbles-Lost                    3-2                 2-0
Penalties-Yards               9-62               8-60

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING--Bullard, Brentavian Henderson 24-229, Chris Bradford 12-77, Connor Mebane 12-42, Jared Alsobrook 1-3. China Spring, Keaton Dudik 28-188, Brett Cain 1-4, Price Sanders 1-4, Cutter Haigood 1-0, Kameron Coe 7-(-10), Team 1-(-5).
PASSING--Bullard, Mebane 4-15-1--92. China Spring, Coe 12-19-0--148, Cain 2-4-0--10.
RECEIVING--Bullard, Drake Daly 1-34, D'Juan Martin 1-29, Major Tennison 1-18, Alsobrook 1-11. China Spring, Devin Brooks 6-90, Haigood 3-41, Christian Truman 2-14, Dudik 2-(-1), Tylar Gilstrap 1-14.