Murphy – The Bulldogs got back to their winning ways on Friday night with a 29-27 victory over Heard County, Ga.
Heard County (2-1) took the opening kickoff and built a 78-yard scoring drive behind the running and passing of quarterback Ethan Tisdale. Murphy helped out with two offsides on a third-down play to give the Braves a first down.
During the drive, Tisdale had a run of 12 yards for a first down and a pass of 15 yards to move the Braves into Murphy territory. Four plays later, he rolled out and found receiver Zadien Moreland for a 29-yard touchdown strike. The Braves added the extra point, and Heard County led 7-0 with 6:35 left in the first quarter.
It didn’t take the Dogs (1-1) long to answer. On the third play of the ensuing drive, Kadence Leatherwood busted through the middle for a 43-yard run to set the Dogs up at the Braves’ 16 yard line. Three plays later, Cameron Clem took it in for a Murphy score. Jerry Bui hit the point after to tie the score 7-7.
It looked like Murphy would get their next score when Ayden Williams picked a Tisdale pass to set the Dogs up on the Braves’ 48 yard line. Murphy moved the ball on three plays to the Braves’ 24 yard line, but on the next play Murphy fumbled and the Braves recovered at the 22.
The Braves would help Murphy out when they fumbled on their second play from scrimmage, this time with the Dogs recovering. Four plays later, Clem punched it in for his second touchdown. After Bui’s extra point, the Dogs led 14-7.
The Braves would cough up the ball again when Tisdale fumbled and Leatherwood covered to set up the Dogs at the Braves’ 17 yard line. Four play later, Will Shore found the end zone, but a holding call negated the score. Heard County held the Dogs, then took over on the 14 yard line.
Murphy held the Braves to third-and-seven and looked like they would get the ball back quickly, but Tisdale completed passes of 24 and 27 yards to move the ball inside Murphy’s 20 yard line. As time expired in the first half, a Braves field goal went wide right.
Murphy could get nothing going on their first two drives after halftime. Tisdale took the snap on the first play of the Braves second drive, rolled left and outran everyone en route to a 68-yard touchdown scamper. After the successful extra point, the score was tied up at 14.
At this point in the second half, the Dogs had generated no offense. That changed on their next drive, when Shore busted a 46-yard run to move the Dogs to the Braves’ 46, but Murphy would fumble the ball away on the very next play. Murphy would get the ball back via an Adam Cook interception on the next Braves’ drive to put the Dogs back in business at their own 48 yard line.
On a fourth-and-1 play, Brady Grant ran a naked bootleg and broke loose for a 37-yard run to put the Dogs knocking on the door at the Braves 4 yard line. Two plays later, Clem would put the Dogs up 20-14. Bui’s point after put the Dogs up 21-14.
The Braves would answer, as Tisdale led his team down to the Murphy four at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Two plays later, Tisdale found an open receiver in the end zone to make the score 21-20. Murphy blocked the extra point attempt to hold the one-point lead.
After a Murphy three-and-out, Heard County started another drive behind some good runs by Tisdale. They moved the ball to the Murphy 9, and it appeared the Indians were going to score, but a fumble and a recovery by Murphy’s Charlie Graves thwarted the drive.
Graves returned the fumble to the Braves’ 44 yard line. After converting a fourth-down play to keep the drive alive, Clem followed up with a 15-yard touchdown scamper. The Braves roughed Murphy kicker Bui on the extra point, so Murphy went for 2. Clem pounded it in to give Murphy a 29-20 lead. That would prove to be enough to give the Dawgs the win.
The Braves scored late in the fourth quarter, when Tisdale ran it in with less than a minute to go. After the point after, the score was 29-27. Heard County tried an onside kick, but Murphy’s Brodie Orton recovered to seal the win for the Dogs.
“We had some positives in this game, but there are still some things we need to work on. I’m real proud of these kids effort, but there is room for improvement,” head coach Joseph Watson said afterward. “Their quarterback was very good, but we need to work on stopping the chuck plays and getting off the field on third down.”
Murphy will have a tough test this Friday night, when the Bulldogs travel to Henderson County to take on West Henderson, which is ranked No. 21 in the state in all classifications.
“They have a really good TE and DE Tyler Nash (6’5 240), he’s a really good athlete. Their offense does a really good job of creating opportunities for him to make plays,” Watson said.
“They have a nice supporting cast around him. Their quarterback makes plays and he gets the ball to his playmakers.”
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. for the Dogs’ third game of the 2024 season.