Historic 99th meeting between Athens and Logan ends in Bulldog victory
By: Meg Kuczinski
Posted on:
LOGAN, Ohio (WOUB) – The Athens Bulldogs took the Logan Chieftains to the dog pound on Friday night, taking home a 30-21 win.
As the lights went down in Logan, this game was lighting up the night.
In last year’s match-up, the Logan Chieftains dominated the Athens Bulldogs 35-13. This season, both teams have had a rough start as each have a record of 1-4. This game was a particularly special occasion since it was the 99th time both teams would meet and the last time for the foreseeable future. Each team put on their best show, but only one team could emerge triumphant.
Both teams had a slow start to the first quarter. Athens struggled to push the ball down the field and was forced to turn the ball over to the Chieftains after an unfortunate fumble. Logan was unable to bring the ball home, turning it back over to the Bulldogs. Both teams traded the ball back and forth for a while, with no clear progress made.
With 3:58 left in the first quarter, running back Alex Pero ran it straight to the house for an electric Athens touchdown. The Bulldogs took a 6-0 lead over the Chieftains, but their lead would not last.
The second quarter began with the ball in Logan’s hands. The Chieftains attacked the game with a new ferocity, driving the ball down the field, but could not make any progress. They were forced to turn the ball back over to Athens, and the tug-of-war between the two teams continued, each attempting to assert their dominance over the other. Late into the second quarter, Logan was finally able to make a splash in the game. Wide receiver Jacob Kahrig found the end zone for his teammates, finally putting up some points for the Chieftains. At the half, Logan just barely squeaked in front of Athens with a 7-6 lead.
The Chieftains opened the third quarter by slowly working their way down the field. However, they were unable to sneak past the Bulldog’s powerhouse of defense. Logan was forced to turn the ball over to Athens, but the Bulldogs were unable to find much success offensively. With 3:28 left in the third quarter, tight end Jack Brown finally managed to put up more points for the Chieftains. Logan, now up 14-6, ended the third quarter with a slight advantage over Athens.
Athens opened up the fourth quarter with a bang, fetching the ball from the Chieftains and chasing it down the field. Wide receiver Kaiden Bycofski found himself in the end zone for a touchdown, bringing them a bit closer to taking down Logan. The Chieftains deftly retrieved the ball and running back Kaden Morgan, took home another touchdown for his team and making the score 21-12.
The two teams struggled with one another in an impasse, each digging their claws into the other. However, the Bulldogs found themselves barking for more. Tight end Seth Hart took the ball home for Athens, making the score 21-18. Before the end of the night, the Bulldogs would find themselves in the end zone twice more, ultimately taking home a 30-21 win over the Chieftains.
Next week, the Bulldogs will host the Meigs Marauders in Athens, while the Chieftains will take on the Marietta Tigers at home in Logan.