Bulldogs claim first playoff win in 12 years; to play No. 1 Aledo next

• By Bobby Summers | Herald-Banner Correspondent

  • Nov 22, 2019

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  Last Friday the Royse City Bulldogs captured their first postseason football championship in the past 12 years.

  The Bulldogs defeated the Lucas Lovejoy Leopards 42-21 in a Class 5A, Division II bi-district playoff game before a large home crowd at Royse City ISD Stadium. Not since the Bulldogs defeated Frisco Wakeland 21-14 for the bi-district crown in 2007 has Royse City played more than 11 football games in a season. And now the Bulldogs advance to the area round and face the No. 1 state-ranked Aledo Bearcats at SMU’s Gerald J. Ford Stadium this Friday at 7:30 p.m..

  This is only the second time the Bulldogs have played Aledo. The first meeting was in the playoffs 52 years ago when the Bearcats and the Bulldogs played for the bi-district championship in Greenville on Nov. 17, 1967.

  For some it was an upset, for others, the Royse City Bulldogs were a slight favorite to beat the Lovejoy Leopards. The first quarter went to Lovejoy as the Leopards took a quick 14-0 lead off of two Royse City mistakes.

  The Bulldogs jumped offsides on a fourth-down failed field goal attempt by Lovejoy. The penalty set up a 16-yard touchdown pass from R.W. Rucker to Noah Naidoo.

  The second miscue by the Bulldogs was a fumble that was recovered by Lovejoy on the Royse City 8-yard line, resulteing in a 7-yard touchdown run by Rucker. The two successful PATs by kicker Tyler Loop gave the Leopards the 14-point lead.

  Royse City Sophomore Ahmon Petty-Dozier kicked it in gear in the second quarter as he was instrumental in a 75-yard drive. Petty-Dozier clicked off gains of 6, 6, 9 and 11 yards to set up a 1-yard touchdown run by quarterback Tyson Oliver. Anthony Ortiz booted the extra point as Royse City trailed 14-7.

  Two possessions later, the Bulldogs recovered a fumble at the Lovejoy 13. Petty-Dozier went to work again and after a 9-yard pickup, the tailback carried the football into the end zone on a 4-yard run to tie the score at 14 all following an Ortiz kick.

  The Bulldog defense again set the stage for a Royse City touchdown when senior defensive back Jordan Brown intercepted his first of two interceptions. Royse City again followed in the footsteps of Petty-Dozier as the Bulldogs took possession at their own 43. The sophomore tailback then reeled off runs of 24, 4 and 3 yards before capping off the 57-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown run with 16 seconds remaining in the first half. Ortiz kicked the extra point as Royse City took a 21-14 lead into halftime.

  Two minutes and 12 seconds into the third period and after the Bulldogs received the second-half kickoff, Petty-Dozier took the second handoff and stepped off 18 yards. Six plays later Royse City capped off the 75-yard drive with a 15-yard touchdown run by Petty-Dozier. By this point, the tailback was setting on a game performance of three touchdowns and over 100 yards rushing that pushed him over the 1,000 yard rushing mark for the season and in a bi-district championship football game.

  Royse City would continue to capitalize on Lovejoy mistakes as well. Following a 12-yard punt by the Leopards, the Bulldogs regained possession at the Lovejoy 47. Nine plays later, Oliver tossed a 25-yard touchdown pass to Junior wideout Ketron Jackson. Royse City was in command of the game with a 35-14 lead as the third period ended.

  Lovejoy capitalized off of a ruling that granted receiver Reid Westervelt as an eligible receiver after being forced out of bounds and then returned to the end zone for a 27-yard touchdown pass from Rucker. With 9:31 to play in the fourth quarter, the Leopards trailed 35-21.

  And it was Royse City’s defense again as Jordan Brown caught his second interception of the game and returned it 33 yards for a Bulldog touchdown. With 5:17 to play in the game, Ortiz added the final point and the Bulldogs secured the victory.