Bulldogs seek homecoming victory
Written: Sep 29, 2011
 By LARRY HYPES
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
TAZEWELL, Va. — The thrill of victory is finally coming to somebody in this one.
The Tazewell Bulldogs (0-4) hope to celebrate homecoming as the equally unproductive Lebanon Pioneers (1-4) come calling Friday in a non-district contest.
The long-time rivals are working through tough seasons. One is going to reverse that trend at Bulldog Stadium. Tazewell hopes to rebound after a disappointing tale of two halves last week against visiting Giles .
The Spartans unleashed standout runner Brad Kessinger, who raced for 165 yards and four touchdowns to pace Giles to a 56-7 romp over the Bulldogs in a surprising turnaround.
The score was only 14-7 in favor of Giles at halftime but a superlative running attack broke the game open as the Spartans rolled to a 28-point outburst in the third stanza.
“We just didn’t put two good halves together,” said Tazewell coach Brandon Tate. “Giles found some things that worked against and they made big plays. We just couldn’t get anything going.
“Lebanon has had some disappointment, too, and we know they will come in here ready to play. We will have to be ready.
“It’s homecoming and that will mean a lot to our players, especially the seniors. There will be a good crowd in the stands and we look forward to playing well and winning the game.”
Lebanon, which last week lost 30-8 to Clintwood, has also fallen to Honaker (31-14), the new Union High— the consolidation of Clintwood and Appalachia — by a 19-0 score, and Gate City (36-0). They defeated Grundy 33-14.
Tazewell’s losses have come against George Wythe (63-3), Graham (21-12), Blacksburg (3-7), and last week at home to the Spartans.
In its four defeats, Lebanon has been outscored by a combined 116-22, and Tazewell’s point deficit is 171-29.
The Bulldogs will be led by senior running back Mikal Moore, sophomore runner Carter Rasnick, and freshman quarterback Malik Davis on offense.
Defensively, Kyle Sheets, Mikey Wright, and cornerback Jalen Jordan have been among the top performers for Tazewell.
Josh Heckford, Ben Jones, Drake Smith, and Hammer Browning have led the way for coach John Adams’ squad.
Kickoff at Bulldog Stadium—Witten Field is at 7:30 p.m.
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