The Quitman Bulldogs defeated the Mountain View Yellowjackets 31-21 Thursday night to secure the third seed from the 3A-2 Conference in the upcoming 3A State Playoffs.
Quitman set the tone early, scoring on its first drive with a six-yard rushing touchdown followed by a successful two-point conversion for an 8-0 lead at the 8:51 mark in the first quarter. The Bulldogs capitalized on an onside kick recovery shortly after, driving to the Mountain View six-yard line where they kicked a 16-yard field goal to extend their lead to 11-0 with 5:42 remaining in the quarter.
Mountain View responded with a promising drive, led by quarterback Noah Davis and running back Micah Moore. Despite gaining multiple first downs, the Yellowjackets turned the ball over on downs after Davis was sacked on a crucial fourth-down play. Quitman used back-to-back passing gains of 19 and 15 yards to position itself for a 33-yard field goal early in the second quarter, increasing its advantage to 14-0.
The Yellowjackets found momentum midway through the second quarter when Davis broke through for a 53-yard touchdown run, evading four defenders. Trace Meyers' extra-point made it 14-7. Mountain View then recovered an onside kick of its own, setting up a 48-yard drive capped by Alaska McDaniel's 10-yard rushing touchdown. Meyers again converted the extra point, tying the game 14-14 with 5:35 left in the half.
Quitman regained the lead just before halftime with an 11-yard touchdown run, giving the Bulldogs a 21-14 edge at the break. In the third quarter, Mountain View came close to equalizing after Eli Davis hauled in a 38-yard pass from Noah Davis to the goal line, but a fumble in the end zone was recovered by Quitman. The Bulldogs added to their lead later in the quarter with a 28-yard field goal, making it 24-14.
Quitman effectively put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter with a 31-yard touchdown, bringing the score to 31-14 with 8:15 to go. Mountain View responded with an 11-yard touchdown run from Cole Cook, followed by another successful extra-point kick from Meyers, narrowing the gap to 31-21 with 3:13 remaining. However, Quitman recovered the onside kick attempt and ran out the clock, securing the victory.
The Bulldogs secured the No. 3 seed heading into next week’s playoff action, while Mountain View, taking the fourth seed, is expected to travel to Glen Rose for its first-round matchup.