Wartburg outlasts Harriman 22-15... The first of many wins in the Teddy Ballgame era!
September 4, 2026 - that's the date to remember. That's the date that a new coaching staff that came into Wartburg with a transformative mindset notched their first victory. It was well earned and well deserved! It was a blustery hot night - which seems odd for September, but this is Tennessee. All across the state, reports were coming in about heat-related injuries - so the game administrators had to be careful during this competition. There were cramps... and water breaks... and somewhere out there, I bet people were drinking pickle juice. Whatever it takes to beat the heat.
Harriman came into this one at (0-2) after big losses to both Kingston and Oneida in the first two weeks. Wartburg also came into this one at (0-2) after a narrow loss to Sale Creek and a heartbreaker against Rockwood last week. This game was a high stakes game because whoever got the win got their first win in a short, 10-game season - but it would also be a district win.
Wartburg came out strong and scored early, leaning on the strength of their running game. Then, after holding Harriman scoreless for nearly 3 quarters, they gave up a score with a 2-point conversion! The Blue Devils then capitalized on that lead by tacking on another touchdown - taking a 15-7 lead in the 4th. It felt eerily similar to Sale Creek - where we had a 1 touchdown lead for nearly the entire game and gave up 2 late scores to lose 14-6... But then QB Krishton Garrett - on a routine 1-yard QB dive - managed to break lose and gave that 1-yard run a QB scramble house call - and then we added our own 2-point conversion to tie it up at 15... On a hot night, nobody wants to take it to overtime - so the Bulldogs took advantage of the defense's tired legs and took another running play to the end zone for their third score of the night - taking a 22-15 lead and leaving only 1:27 on the clock in the 4th quarter for any last second heroics by Harriman. Shortly after Harriman got the ball back - "Iceman" James Wright picked off his second pass of the season to ice the game. Winners find a way to win - and Wartburg had a gritty ground and pound style of play in a game that REQUIRED strong 4th quarter play to win. Great effort for the third straight game - Way to fight to the finish for the third straight game - Congrats on the first W of many!
Below are a few musings meant to entertain & encourage:
Harriman came into this one at (0-2) after big losses to both Kingston and Oneida in the first two weeks. Wartburg also came into this one at (0-2) after a narrow loss to Sale Creek and a heartbreaker against Rockwood last week. This game was a high stakes game because whoever got the win got their first win in a short, 10-game season - but it would also be a district win.
Wartburg came out strong and scored early, leaning on the strength of their running game. Then, after holding Harriman scoreless for nearly 3 quarters, they gave up a score with a 2-point conversion! The Blue Devils then capitalized on that lead by tacking on another touchdown - taking a 15-7 lead in the 4th. It felt eerily similar to Sale Creek - where we had a 1 touchdown lead for nearly the entire game and gave up 2 late scores to lose 14-6... But then QB Krishton Garrett - on a routine 1-yard QB dive - managed to break lose and gave that 1-yard run a QB scramble house call - and then we added our own 2-point conversion to tie it up at 15... On a hot night, nobody wants to take it to overtime - so the Bulldogs took advantage of the defense's tired legs and took another running play to the end zone for their third score of the night - taking a 22-15 lead and leaving only 1:27 on the clock in the 4th quarter for any last second heroics by Harriman. Shortly after Harriman got the ball back - "Iceman" James Wright picked off his second pass of the season to ice the game. Winners find a way to win - and Wartburg had a gritty ground and pound style of play in a game that REQUIRED strong 4th quarter play to win. Great effort for the third straight game - Way to fight to the finish for the third straight game - Congrats on the first W of many!
Below are a few musings meant to entertain & encourage:
We have found a Kicker!
Does anyone else remember the 90s comedy that kicked off Jim Carrey's popularity? In Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Jim Carrey played a free-lance detective that was looking for a kicker for almost the entire movie. Much like the movie's Ray Finkle - Daniel Bunch is also a soccer style kicker that Wartburg has been searching for since Coach Ted McKinney arrived to the Big Blue. After 2 weeks of Wartburg struggling on extra points, "Laces Out" Daniel Bunch approached the coach and was willing to give it a try. With a soccer background, kicking should come somewhat naturally - but the transition to football can be tricky. Powered by some pre-game Skittles, Bunch handled all kickoff duties, and went 2/2 on extra points! For a moment, it even looked like Bunch might be called upon to break the tie in the 4th with a game winner - but rather than put that kind of pressure on him - the Bulldogs went ahead and punched in another TD and let him kick and extra point instead. Great work Daniel! And always remember: Laces Out!
The 3-Headed Rushing Monster
Playing into the strengths of Wartburg football, we have some major talent in the running game. Jalyn Thomas didn't just show up this year - he's been putting in strong work in the Wartburg backfield for a couple of seasons already. He's fast, slippery, and instinctive - with an almost sixth-sense for where to go next. Then you have the Hammer - Ian Hammock. Ian is a tremendous athlete that transferred to Wartburg this season. He has a size and speed combination that offensive coordinators dream of - and he runs with violence that packs a punch. Not every rusher is a running back - some QBs profile as a dual threat. Sophomore Krishton Garrett has had a bit of an up and down season so far. Being a sophomore QB working under your second regime - there's a lot of terminology to learn and re-learn. He must've put in some extra work this past week, because he looked like a different QB at Harriman... and he had that jailbreak run that was supposed to go for a yard and ended up being the score that tied the game! Run it like you stole it Krishton! Great work to the entire rushing attack (looking at you all on the O-Line as well here!)
Defense Looking Solid!
The Defensive Coordinator's speeches from the Rockwood game give a lot of hope for what is to come. So far, the Wartburg defense has looked really good. However, the DC said to his defense during the Rockwood game, "The things we were missing in game 1 - we fixed in game 2... but the things we got right in game 1, we got wrong in game 2... We still haven't put it all together for a whole game!" In this game against Harriman, they started putting it all together! Other than a couple of blown plays - they played lights out football - holding the Blue Devils scoreless for almost 3 quarters of play. This defense is definitely a strong point for the Bulldogs. James Wright is a bright spot in coverage - picking off his second pick of the season. Jalyn Thomas - playing Iron Man ball like many Bulldogs - also grabbed an early pick in this one. And then you have the D-Line. Many times, a game is won or lost in the trenches. Isaac "Two Face" Sills is a problem for most offenses as he either sets the edge not allowing running room for RBs - or he breaks through to chase down the QB. Either way - the freshman big man is gonna be a focal point with his two-jersey switching between 79 & 99 all game long! Sometimes I wonder if the opposing players think there are 2 of him when he trots back onto the field with a different number! Whether you are 79 - 99 - or some other 9 - we love seeing you wreak havoc out there!
I'm guessing the Def. Coordinator is still fine tuning and tweaking his crew - and I think we've only scratched the surface of what they are capable of!
I'm guessing the Def. Coordinator is still fine tuning and tweaking his crew - and I think we've only scratched the surface of what they are capable of!
Next Week: We have another away game at Oliver Springs. They are currently in a 3-way tie for the district at 1-0 in District play - however, they are 1-2 on the season just like we are. Will it be a statement game for the Dogs to grab another road district win? Or will it be back to the drawing board? Only time will tell - but my money is on the Dogs carrying this momentum into next Friday!
Go Dogs!
