Football season came to an end for the Tioga athletic program with the Bulldogs falling to Hamilton 42-20 in the opening round of the playoffs Nov. 14.
Tioga moved the ball against Hamilton’s defense, generating over 400 yards of offense, but its injury- riddled roster couldn’t keep pace with Hamilton’s offense.
“Tonight summed up the season; things just haven’t gone our way, and they haven’t from Day 1, but we have a group of kids that were out here fighting for each other, and at the end of the day that means a lot as a coach to see that,” said Zach Birdwell, Tioga athletic director and head football coach. “These kids have every chance to turn on each other, fold and call it quits, and all these guys do is show up. We’re coming off the best week of practice we’ve had in three years here, and I’ll forever be thankful for these kids.”
Tioga received the opening kickoff but was forced to punt to Hamilton, who capped their opening drive with a 1-yard touchdown run, taking a 7-0 lead after a successful extra point kick.
Hamilton added to its lead with back-to-back touchdown tosses— a 33-yarder and an 8-yarder—extending their lead to 21-0 in the first half.
Tioga got on the scoreboard after quarterback Kyson Kirkland hit receiver Jake David for a 40-yard bomb, putting the ball on Hamilton’s 6-yard line.
Receiver Jaxson Hurst lined up in the backfield and weaved his way into the end zone for a touchdown, making the score 21-6 after a failed two-point attempt.
Tioga cut further into Hamilton’s two-score lead with a 47-yard touchdown pass from Kirkland to receiver Justin Arrington, making the score 21-12.
Hamilton would widen its lead again with a 10-yard touchdown run, sending the teams into the half with Hamilton leading 28-12.
Tioga would find the end zone again late in the fourth quarter, but Hamilton would go on to outscore their opponent 14-8 in the second half, taking the 42-20 win.
Birdwell said he was proud of his team’s effort, but that the team’s numerous injuries finally proved too much to overcome after losing quarterback Greeley McAden near the end of the regular season and starting center Byson Bradley to an ankle injury days before the playoff matchup.
“We rolled into tonight with a starting quarterback, who has seven quarters of football under his belt, and with a brand-new center,” he said. “That shuffle at center changed the whole offensive line, and it took a little bit for us to settle in. … We had a lot of positive plays, but then we would find ourselves behind the chains early on, and we just weren’t quite built for that.”
Despite the loss, Birdwell said he couldn’t be more proud of the way his team fought all season.
“We live in a world where as soon as adversity hits, people look to be saved, and all our kids did was grow all year,” he said. “My saving grace in this whole thing tonight is that we have a group of seniors that are about to go out into the real world that know how to battle through adversity. We want to win games here, without a doubt, … but we also want these kids to leave as the best versions of themselves and equipped for the real world, and I think we have a group that has grown tremendously this year.”
He also made sure to express his and his staff’s appreciation for the Tioga administration and fans.
“We look up, and we’re battling a lot of the season without a winning record, and we don’t win on the road until the last game of the season,” he said. “The administration could have lost faith. The fans could have lost faith, [but] they did the exact same thing as the kids. They showed up and kept doing their part, supporting and cheering on these unbelievable athletes, so shout out to them. We said from the beginning we’re going to build this program around five pillars— the kids, the staff, the administration, the parents and the community. It takes all those to be elite, so just thank you to them.”
