BENNETTSVILLE— The Bulldog turnaround has created some online chatter in groups, but no one can deny the dominance of the Marlboro County High School Bulldogs this season.

Last year, the team posted three wins, so far this season, the team is undefeated, with Friday’s win coming from North Myrtle Beach forfeiting the game citing security issues.

Last week, Marlboro County Schools went to e-learning due to threats and fights at the school. According to a press release from the MCSD, the threat made against McColl Elementary Middle School was determined to be the same type of hoax that have been “made against schools across the nation, including those in Georgetown and Horry counties.”

North Myrtle Beach is one of 12 schools in Horry County. The Bulldogs played a complete game against the Conway Tigers on Friday the 13th, putting up 40 points on the Tigers. With that 40-16 victory, the Bulldogs earned a number four ranking in Class AAA. Against the Tigers, the Bulldogs rushed for 321 yards. This season, the run game for the Bulldogs have racked up at least 246 rushing yards per game. Senior Josiah Robinson accounts for many of those yards, averaging 119.8 yards through the first four games.

The Scotland — Marlboro Rivalry

MCHS head coach Cory Johnson is a coach who doesn’t brag in the media. The former Scotland High School defensive coordinator and Clinton High School head coach didn’t place any more importance on the Battle of the Border game than he’d put on any other game on the schedule.

The Bulldogs headed to Laurinburg on September 6 and beat the Fighting Scots, 40-28.

Following the game, Johnson told the Herald-Advocate, “It was a great win for our community, our team and our school.”

The Bulldog faithful wasn’t disappointed for a moment. Donovan Pauling-Outlaw ran a kickoff into the end zone with 9:57 in the first quarter to put the first points on the board. After going up 7-0, the defense forced a three-and-out by Scotland. But the Fighting Scots would score in the first quarter, tying the score 7-7 for a brief period of time. But when the first quarter ended, the Bulldogs were up 21-7 over Scotland. It looked as if the team was going to continue their blowout ways, but the Fighting Scots put up a fight in the second half. The Bulldogs were leading 27-7 at halftime.

Scotland scored two touchdowns in the third, bringing the score to 33-21. But the Fight Scots defense didn’t have an answer for Marlboro’s running game.

“You know, you need to face challenges early in the season to see where you need to grow at,” Johnson said, saying that the Marlboro—Scotland game was the first four-quarter game the team had played so far.

When Johnson took the head coaching job here in March, he said, “I know they take football extra serious here,” he said. “I love this area of football.”

In the first four games of the season, which includes victories over Lake Marion High School and Cheraw High School, the Bulldogs have racked up, 655 passing yards, no passing interceptions, 1,276 rushing yards, averaging 10.1 yards per carry. And yes, that is a Bulldog first down on nearly every rushing play. The Bulldogs have scored 18 rushing touchdowns. The Bulldogs have scored 183 points in the first four games of the season and their opponents have scored 57 points.

That’s thanks to a defense that could be called the Transformers, as they adjust to everything thrown their way.

Defensive coordinator and DB coach Dennis McFatten told the Herald-Advocate that the defense has been successful because they practice it over and over. “It’s repetition. We’re creatures of habit and we’re repping those things over and over in practice. When the players actually see it in the game, it’s instinct for them.”

Following this week’s bye, the Bulldogs open up region play starting with Aynor on October 4, which is homecoming.

Aynor has won half of its games on the road. Last Friday the Blue Jackets squeaked out a 35-39 victory over the Conway Tigers at home.

Of course, with success comes nay-sayers. Marlboro County School District Superintendent Helena Tillar addressed rumors about the football team at the school board meeting earlier this month.

She told the board and the public in attendance,

“There’s always some suspicion when you’re winning. I want to share with you an inquiry I received from Ms. Tonya Brown (WPDE reporter). It says, trusting all is well, I obtained some information today that Marlboro County High School’s football team has been found to be in violation of having ineligible players on the team. I’m told the South Carolina High School League has sanctioned the football team for the violation. The league’s public information officer sent me the following: …please contact the school about this information.”

Tillar went on to read where Brown asked the SCHSL what actions had been taken against the Bulldogs. The league’s response, according to Tillar, “This is from Charlie Wentzky, he’s the deputy commissioner for the South Carolina High School League, he said, so it appears that our public information director redirected the news outlet to the school, which is what we would do if there is a sanction and what we will do if there is not a sanction as it is your story to tell either way. As I stated on the phone, if Marlboro County had a sanction from the high school league, you would’ve had verbal and written correspondence indicating what the penalty and sanction were. There are false rumors and information circulating. I suggest that the district gets out in front of this narrative. I’m here to tell you today, all of our players are eligible and have been cleared by the high school league. We have no sanctions from the high school league and I think we need to put that to rest. I did want to share that because you know how the rumor mill is. It can be damaging and that’s why we went to the high school league to take it up with them. One thing we’re going to do is we’re going to follow the rules and regulations and do the right thing. That’s the only way that we operate.”