The Quitman Bulldogs put up a strong fight Friday night against the Chisum Mustangs, trading blows in a back-and-forth contest before ultimately falling just short, 34-26.

Quitman came out strong on their opening drive as Rhett Kelly found the end zone to give the Bulldogs an early 7-0 lead after a successful extra point. Chisum responded quickly with a touchdown, but Quitman’s special teams made an early stand by blocking the extra-point attempt to preserve a one-point advantage.

Quarterback Klayton Meadows extended the Bulldogs’ lead midway through the first half, pushing the score to 14-6 after another successful kick. Chisum answered immediately, returning the following kickoff for a touchdown and adding a two-point conversion to even the score at 14-14. Before halftime, the Mustangs capitalized on a Quitman punt to take a 20-14 lead into the break.

Quitman came out determined in the second half. Running back Jacob Breding powered through the defense for a touchdown early in the third quarter, tying the game 20-20. However, Chisum reclaimed the lead on the next possession with a touchdown and successful two-point attempt.

The Bulldogs refused to back down. Meadows punched in another touchdown to pull Quitman within striking distance, though the extra point fell short, leaving the score at 34-26.

Breding broke loose on a 30-yard run late in the game, but a fumble near midfield gave Chisum the ball back, allowing the Mustangs to run out the clock and secure the narrow victory.