High School Sports

By SHANE STARK
Staff Writer

BULLARD -- Bullard quarterback Charlie Moore bounced outside, examined the field and found an alley. He then darted untouched to the record books.

Moore and Bullard acted out the perfect script during the opening of the new Panther Stadium on Friday night. Moore, a senior with all-state potential, passed for 214 yards and two touchdowns, plus rushed for 148 yards and a score to help lead Bullard past Palestine Westwood, 38-21.

"We love Charlie," said Bullard head coach Jim Taylor, adding "Our kids played hard. We made plays when we needed to."

All the plays helped Bullard (1-0) end a three-game losing streak to Westwood (0-2), which Bullard has faced each of the past nine seasons. They came from all positions on the field, defensively and offensively.

On an individual basis, the game was a showdown between Moore and Westwood star running back D.J. Morrow. While Moore was enjoying one of the better performances of his career, the powerful Morrow rushed for 94 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Meanwhile, Westwood quarterback Tevin Watson completed eight of 14 passes for 45 yards with two interceptions in his first start.

Prior to the game, a trio of skydivers parachuted to the field to bring the official game ball -- much to the delight of a crowd possibly thinking, "It's a bird, it's a plane, no ..." Once the game began, it seemed Bullard spread its cape and scaled the opposite path of its flight.

Bullard started strong in the first half, taking a 12-0 lead before Westwood could answer.

Moore provided one of the night's most electric plays on the first touchdown, turning a seemingly doomed quarterback keeper around the edge and scrambling to the end zone with 8:59 remaining in the first. Moore then helped put the Panthers up by 12 about six minutes later, connecting with Daniel Howard from 19 yards.

Howard finished with six receptions for 120 yards and two touchdowns, and nine rushes for 60 yards and two scores.

Yet the team from Westwood controlled the next 10 minutes on the scoreboard, thanks to Morrow hauling a throng of Bullard defenders 20 yards to the end zone, and then Domanick Turner sprinting 13 yards on his first carry for a 14-12 lead with 5:31 remaining in the second quarter.

But Moore, a standout in multiple sports, wouldn't let his team down.

First, he turned a busted play into a 20-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Beavers to regain the lead with 5:08 showing before the half. And then, he hurried the Panthers down the field with time running out -- thanks to 46- and 31-yard plays -- to cushion the lead. However, he was stopped on a 7-yard gain at the Westwood 1 with no time remaining.

Early in the third quarter, Westwood made Bullard pay for failing to score. After Westwood defensive back Cody Boyd intercepted Moore -- the quarterback's lone mistake -- at the plus 14, Morrow once again carried the entire Bullard defense to the end zone to regain the lead, 21-18.

But the crowd never saw Westwood reach the scoreboard again. Instead, they witnessed Bullard put the game away with a Howard 10-yard scoring run late in the third and a Moore to Howard 26-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth.

"We're just happy to win," Taylor said. "We take it one game at a time."

-- -- --

Bullard 38, Palestine Westwood 21

At Panther Stadium, Bullard

Westwood 7 7 7 0 -- 21

Bullard 12 6 7 13 -- 38

First Quarter

BUL -- Charlie Moore 22 run (kick failed), 8:59

BUL -- Daniel Howard 19 pass from Moore (pass failed), 3:22

WES -- D.J. Morrow 20 run (Tyler Dillon kick), :00

Second Quarter

WES -- Domanick Turner 13 run (Dillon kick), 5:31

BUL -- Brandon Beavers 20 pass from Moore (pass failed), 5:08

Third Quarter

WES -- Morrow 14 run (Dillon kick), 8:18

BUL -- Howard 10 run (Danny Vega kick), 2:24

Fourth Quarter

BUL -- Howard 26 pass from Moore (kick failed), 8:19

BUL -- Howard 13 run (Vega kick), 3:54

WES BUL

First Downs 10 21

Rushes-Yards 25-114 34-225

Passing Yards 45 214

Comp.-Att.-Int. 8-14-2 14-20-1

Punts-Avg. 2-36.5 2-30

Penalties-Yards 4-20 5-46

Fumbles-Lost 3-1 0-0

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING -- Westwood, D.J. Morrow 18-94, Tevin Watson 6-7, Domanick Turner 1-13; Bullard, Charlie Moore 20-148, Daniel Howard 9-60, Marquez Franklin 3-12, Dakota Robinson 1-5.

PASSING -- Westwood, Watson 8-14-2 -- 45;

Bullard, Moore 14-20-1 -- 214.

RECEIVING -- Westwood, Turner 5-28, Mark Reed 2-13, George White 1-4;

Bullard, Howard 6-120, Brandon Beavers 3-50, Franklin 2-11, Preston Seaton-Knox 1-22, Steven Langston 1-3.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Bullard defensive back Preston Seaton-Knox (left) and Palestine Westwood receiver Domanick Turner focus on the ball as they fall to the ground Friday at Panther Stadium in Bullard. Neither player was able to haul in the deep pass.
(Staff Photo By Mark Roberts)