The Tioga Bulldogs varsity football team returned home to Bulldog Stadium and captured their first win of the 2026 season, with a 26-6 win over the Callisburg Wildcats on Sept. 11.
The Bulldogs relied on a stingy performance from their defense and an explosive game from their special teams to power their way victory.
“We challenged our guys by saying, ‘Let’s rattle off three wins going into our bye week and be ready to roll into the second portion of the season, and we checked that first box winning that game,’” said Zach Birdwell, Tioga athletic director and head football coach. “I’m really proud of our defense and our special teams with our offense struggling. It was great to see the defense step up with big hits, turnovers and goal line stops.”
The two teams traded punts to start the contest until a wild snap by Callisburg’s long snapper allowed Tioga to tackle the Wildcats' punter, allowing the Bulldogs to take over possession at midfield.
Four plays later the Bulldogs scored the game’s first touchdown when quarterback Cole Boyd found receiver Jaxson Hurst in the corner of the end zone, giving Tioga an 8-0 lead after a successful 2-point conversion.
Callisburg answered with a 10-play drive, capped with a 1-yard touchdown run, making it a 2-point game near the end of the second quarter.
On the ensuing kickoff, Tioga return man Quesyn Arrington extended the Bulldogs’ lead by returning the kick 85 yards for a touchdown, giving Tioga a 14-6 lead as the teams entered halftime.
The two teams traded possessions in the second half, with the Bulldogs’ defense and special team’s miscues continuing to limit the Wildcats' scoring opportunities, including a missed field goal on an errant snap.
A few plays later the Bulldogs’ defense forced a turnover on downs, giving their offense the ball on the Callisburg 30-yard line, and two plays later Tioga scored its third touchdown of the night when Boyd connected with Arrington for a 30yard touchdown pass.
Two plays into the Wildcats’ next drive, Tioga defensive back Asher Rhodes intercepted a pass and returned it to the Callisburg 18-yard line.
One play later, Tioga running back Jake David took the handoff and raced into the end zone from 18 yards out for the game’s final score, sealing the Bulldogs' win, 266.
Boyd finished the night, completing 14 of 27 passes for 177 yards and 3 touchdowns, while David led Bulldogs skill position players with 155 yards of total offense and 1 touchdown.
Bulldogs’ defensive back Kyson Kirkland said the team's mental toughness helped the unit put on its best performance so far this season in the Week 3 win.
“From the first drive of Week 1, we’ve been playing with the motivation to be the best, and it showed on the field,” he said. “… As a [unit], we know if we go out there, play fast and continue to get stops, our offense is going to come along, and that’s something we hope to continue to do the rest of the season.”
