Bulldogs Outlast Braves

Saturday, Aug 25, 2007

Cheraw traveled to Marlboro County tonight as The Defending AA State Champion Braves open the 2007 regular season on the road. The Braves come in to this game having won three straight against the Bulldogs and have not lost a regular season game since August of 2005. But still some questions about this version of Braves Football due to the fact that this would be the first time that some of the key components have played in a game situation since last year’s State Championship.

The Braves answered these questions early by jumping all over Marlboro County on both sides of the ball on the way to a 10-0 first quarter lead with Cheraw playing the majority of a very long first quarter inside the Marlboro 30.

On defense, Cheraw swarmed to the football with Marlboro having no answers for the pass rush or run pursuit of Cheraw’s “D” as Jonathan White (#19) and Desmond Chambers (#62) played lights out.

On offence, Cheraw pushed the Bulldogs around with Marlboro again having no answers for the speed of Jaron Brown (#18), the quickness of Travis Small (#8), the power of Montrell Evans (#35), or the strength of the Cheraw “O-Line”.

But two penalties – one that took a touchdown off the board – and two very costly turnovers inside the Marlboro 10, kept the game close as Cheraw led 10-0 at the half.

The Bulldogs received the ball to start the second half and wasted little time as they scored on the third play to bring the game back close at 10-7.

Marlboro found the answers to some of the questions about containing Cheraw’s “O” and slowing down Cheraw’s “D” as they turned the tide in the second half and outscored the Braves 14-0 in the third quarter.

Marlboro’s passing game took advantage of Cheraw’s depth, or the lack there of, and proved to be the difference in the game as the Bulldogs added two more scores to defeat the Braves 26-10.

“You have to give (Cheraw) credit, because they took it to us in the first half,” Marlboro coach Dean Boyd said. “We were just able to wear them down in the second half and throw the ball on them a little bit and that carried us in the second half.”

	1^st	2^nd	3^rd	4^th	Total
Cheraw (0-1)	10	0	0	0	10
Marlboro (1-1)	0	0	14	12	26

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