The Quitman Bulldogs secured their first playoff appearance in 16 years with a convincing 48-13 win at Paris Chisum last Friday night.

The Bulldogs will face Howe Friday night at Honey Grove in bi-district action beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Head coach Shane Webber was proud and relieved.

“This win was important for our kids and our coaches to be able to continue the season in the playoffs. This one is also for all those fans who stood by us during those 0-10 years and the over 40-game losing streak a few years ago,” Webber said.

The Bulldogs finished the regular season with a 5-5 record and a 3-3 district record, which put them in third place behind Grand Saline and Edgewood. Lone Oak ended up being the fourth-place team, edging out Prairiland for the spot. Lone Oak will face district champion Bells in its playoff game.

Quitman took a 28-7 lead at halftime, then took the opening kickoff of the second half and drove for a score to extend the lead to 35-7. Quitman added 13 points later in the second half, while Chisum added six.

Officials ran the clock continuously in the final quarter after Quitman’s 35-point lead put the game out of reach. The Bulldogs passed only three times, completing one for a 22-yard touchdown from Logan Davis to Jonathan Hayes.

The Bulldogs used several running backs, with freshman Jayson Wakefield gaining 90 yards on 11 carries for an 8.2-yard-per-carry average. Wakefield has come into his own this season.

For the year, he has 934 rushing yards for a 6.4-yard-per-carry average. Senior Ben Boisclair ran for 65 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. Boisclair had 671 tough yards on the year for a 5.7-yard-per-carry average. Against Chisum, Brandon Samaniego ran three times for 52 yards, while teammate Solomon Davis ran three times for 49 yards and one touchdown.

Quarterback Davis ran for 70 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries. The Bulldogs rushed for 380 yards on 48 attempts and totaled 402 yards of offense.

“We ran the ball really well. Our offensive line did their job in the trenches and our backs did a great job running the ball and hitting their holes. We had eight different backs run the ball at Chisum. We were rolling on both offense and defense the entire game,” Webber said.

The Bulldogs came back strong in their final two district games to earn their postseason spot. Wins over Lone Oak and Chisum put the Bulldogs in the playoffs.

The Bulldogs’ bi-district opponent is the 7-3 Howe Bulldogs from District 7-3A Division II. Howe was 5-1 in district action, with its only loss coming against first-place Bells.

Webber said Quitman will have its hands full with Howe.

“They are really big and have a solid football team. We will have to be prepared for their size and speed. They have a 10.7 sprinter on the outside. Like us, they have a really good offensive and defensive line,” Webber said. “They like to spread it out and run the ball. They are about 60-40 run and pass. They will put the ball in the air so our defensive backs will have to be on the ball. They have a good quarterback, Deacon Bender, who runs well and can throw on target. Coach [Jacob] Smith has done a great coaching job over there and he has the program going in the right direction. We know they will be ready for us."

Howe lost to Alvord 30-20 in its season opener, followed by a 55-13 win over Bonham, a 69-34 loss to Pilot Point and a 31-21 win over Rains.

In district play, Howe defeated Callisburg 39-0, S&S Consolidated 49-0, Blue Ridge 41-21, Valley View 20-13 and Leonard 37-7. The lone district loss was to Bells, 35-6.

Howe is led by senior running back Rylan Strong, who averages 135.7 rushing yards per game. Strong leads the team with 17 total touchdowns, seven of those on passes. Quarterback Bender has thrown 16 touchdown passes this year.