Jalen Whetstone stiff-arms a Fayetteville defender en route to the end zone. (Daily Home)

ALPINE — Josh Taylor rushed for 137 yards and three touchdowns on three carries to lead the Winterboro Bulldogs past Class 1A Region 3 foe Fayetteville 39-6 Friday.

“It is good to start region play with a win,” Winterboro head coach Adam Fossett said. “I thought we came out on fire and did some good things. Then we settled in and did some bad things. We have to get better for us to continue to get region wins on Friday nights. The message next week is going to be we have to get better. We are obviously not happy where we ended up last season beginning 7-3 and sitting at home, so we have to improve on what we did wrong tonight and intensity has to get better.”

The Bulldogs (2-0, 1-0) scored on three of their first four plays in the first quarter to take a commanding 20-0 lead.

After a bobble punt attempt by Fayetteville gave Winterboro the ball at the Wolves 22- yard line.

On the Bulldogs first play from scrimmage, Jalen Whetstone took a handoff 22 yards around left end for a touchdown. Josh Struzik’s extra point attempt was good to make it 7-0.

Jake McCoy gave the Bulldogs the football back on the Fayetteville 20-yard line as he recovered a Wolves fumble on their second possession. On the very next play Taylor made them pay as he took a toss sweep around right end for a touchdown to make it 13-0. The extra point attempt was no good.

The self-proclaimed “thunder and lighting” duo of Curtavius Gray and Taylor rushed for all 72 yards on the Bulldogs’ third possession. Gray got things going for the Bulldogs as he rumbled his way for a 12-yard gain to the 40-yard line. On the next play Taylor sprinted 60-yards untouched on took the toss sweep for a touchdown. The extra point attempt was good to make it 20-0.

“We ran four plays and three of them were touchdowns,” Fossett said. “ That has a lot to do with impressive athletic ability on our side and the will to score at will. We did what we set out to do in the first quarter. Our game plan was to get to the edge and get to the end zone.”

Winterboro continued to score at will in the second quarter. On the first play of the quarter Taylor Garrett connected with a wide-open Cedric McKenzie for a 56-yard touchdown reception. The extra point attempt was good to make it 27-0.

The Wolves’ offense finally got things going as they put together a 10-play, 65-yard drive together for a touchdown. Zach McGrady capped off the drive with a quarterback sneak from 1-yard to make it 27-6.

“Winterboro is a very good team and we knew we had our hands filled when we came up here,” Fayetteville head coach Chris Sherbet said. “I challenged my boys not to let the name on the jersey beat you… 39-6, I will never be happy with that, but I am happy with our level of intensity. They fought and fought and, lets be honest, they just have better athletes than we've got. Lets just face it. We worked hard, we fought and we clawed. Offensively we got some stuff done and in the second half we got some things done on defense. If they can bring this intensity next Tuesday to practice and improve every day up until next Friday, you will look at the scoreboard in the fourth quarter and be surprised where you are at.”

Taylor scored his third and final touchdown of the night on the Bulldogs ensuing drive.

The senior scored from 47 yards out to cap off a four play 68-yard drive to make it 33-6 going into halftime.

Gray put the game way in the third quarter. The powerful fullback showed his strength as well as his speed as he broke tackles on en route to a 70-yard rumble down the right side line. Gray finished what he started on the next play as he bulldozed his way into the end zone from three-yards out to make it 39-6.

Taylor and Gray combined for 238 yards and four touchdowns on seven carries. Gray finished the game with 101 yards on five carries.

Winterboro travels to take on their rivals TC Central next week, while Fayetteville takes on Wadley at home.

Read more:The Daily Home - Bulldogs roll over Wolves