The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

IT WAS an amazing season for the Rabun Gap-Nacoochee Eagles football team, but it came to an end just short of a storybook finish.

The Eagles lost the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association State Championship, Division III title game, 46-13 to the Victory Christian Kings.

With a trio of Bahamian players on their roster, the Eagles finished at runners-up in just their fourth season of varsity football.

Michael Bullard, Dwight Butler and Donte McDonald helped the Eagles to an historic 11-3 finish overall on the season.

Bullard, a versatile senior, was one of the team’s leaders on both sides of the ball, predominantly as a running back and that trend continued in the title game.He scored one of the Eagles’ two touchdowns in the fourth quarter on a reception out of the backfield.

The Eagles advanced to the State Championship when they won 28-24 over Metrolina Christian in the semi-finals last week. In that game, Bullard rushed for 187 yards on 25 carries and three touchdowns.

On defence he finished with six tackles, one pass break up, one interception, and one fumble recovery.

In their opening playoff game, the Eagles won 28-24 over the Village Christian Academy Knights.

Butler had five catches for 80 yards and one touchdown. He finished with a 19-yard score and a 49-yard run to set up his first rushing score of the season. For the year, Bullard finished with 1,672 yards on 279 carries and scored 19 rushing touchdowns. He caught 23 passes out of the backfield for 265 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively he finished with 75 tackles, three interceptions and one fumble recovery.

His top performance of the year came in a 41-26 win over Cherokee, September 11, where he finished with five touchdowns.

The Eagles were sparked by Bullard’s 196 yards on 29 carries and 4 touchdowns and Rabun Gap finished the game with 41 rushes for 310 yards. Bullard also caught an interception and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown. He finished with 237 all purpose yards.

At wide receiver, Butler finished with 27 receptions for 420 yards and three touchdowns. On defence he finished with 72 tackles, two sacks and one interception.

McDonald, a junior lineman, had a standout season on the defensive side of the ball. He finished with 58 tackles, four sacks and eight quarterback hurries.

Rabun Gap has established a reputation as a pipeline for Bahamian student athletes in recent years.

Last fall, Roger Cox, the associate director of admission and athletics for the school, hosted a school fair in Nassau at the British Colonial Hilton.

The purpose of the fair was to attract and recruit potential student athletes to the college preparatory day and boarding school.