Momentum carries for Bulldogs

The Alexander Bulldogs didn't waste any time in proving that last year's remarkable district finish wasn't just a flash in the pan.
The momentum looks to have carried on through the summer and was unleashed against the Alice Coyotes in a 41-37 win on Friday.
"Not just anybody can go to Alice and beat Alice," Alexander head coach Joel Lopez said. "They're a perennial playoff team and the tradition there is impeccable. I would know, I have people that I know in Alice that have had the same season tickets for the last 30 years and they don’t have any family playing ... football is a way of life in Alice.
"So to go down there at their own place and beat them is just a tremendous accomplishment and it says a lot about our program and where we are headed."
Getting recognized with honors in their respective positions were Xavier Skaggs (offensive back), Bengie Mota (offensive line), Jose Sanchez (defensive back), Luis Villanueva (defensive line), Eduardo Garcia (head hunter) and kicker/punter Jerry Villarreal (special teams).
For Lopez, the difference in the game came off a stripped fumble created after a kickoff late in the fourth quarter.
"The very next play, we scored a touchdown and that’s where we took the lead," Lopez said. "At that point, it was a very close game and I thought the kids kept their composure; even though we threw an interception at the end, the defense came through."
The Bulldogs' offense was in top form, with junior gunslinger Brian Swain throwing for four touchdowns and over 380 passing yards. Skaggs gutted the defense with his speed and agility.
While the defense did allow a fare amount of points, it pulled through when it mattered; something that the Bulldogs failed to do last season against Donna in the playoffs. That experience didn’t take long to come in handy.
"As a staff, we are very pleased with our performance," Lopez said. "We stuck through a heavyweight bout, we took a lot of punches, but when we needed to rise to the occasion, the defense did and they did great job.
"You tell them many times that it's not over until it's over, but until they go through it they won't know. I think our experience helped us out. We do not want to let happen what happened against Donna last year, when we lost in the last seconds of the game."