The Hampton-Dumont-CAL football team was bolstered by some key offensive playmakers this season.
At running back, Colin Bird proved to be the leading rusher with 686 yards on 108 carries and five touchdowns. As the season progressed, Taylor Mahler racked up more carries and ended with 91 rushes for 317 yards. Head Coach Cole Miller says Bird and Mahler, combined with quarterback Ryder Strother and wide receiver Brody Strother, provided a large part of what the team did offensively.
“Colin Bird was a huge part of our offense this season,” Miller says. “He did a lot of things for us. In the passing game, he caught a lot of balls for us on some screens and stuff. And so we were really trying to get him the ball in different ways, because he’s such a dynamic player and strong runner. And then Mahler, when he did get the ball, was a tough runner for us too. He’s more of that north and south kind of guy in between the tackles. His season was cut short, but Brody Strother was another dynamic guy for us. When he went out, that kind of hurt our passing game a little bit more than we were hoping it would, but he was a great player for us through the first five games of the season. Ryder Strother continued to get better. He was really good with his legs. We were able to use that part of his game to kind of open up some other things for Bird and Mahler.”
Mahler and Bird were also the leading tacklers with 67.5 and 59.
The Bulldogs went 3-6.
