The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMIAN collegiate football players Michael Bullard and Dwight Butler and their Peru Bobcats will have an opportunity to play in a televised game this weekend in National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Division I play.

The Bobcats will face Missouri Valley at 11am Saturday, September 16 on ESPN 3.

Peru State, located in Peru, Nebraska, competes in the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC) in NAIA Division I.

The conference has partnered with Niles Media Group to bring wider exposure to the league and this is the first of two televised games for Peru.

After an injury shortened sophomore season, Bullard is on pace to surpass last year’s numbers and has emerged as one of the defensive leaders in his third year with the programme. He currently leads the team with 18 tackles - 10 unassisted and 1.5 for a loss.

Bullard notched six total tackles in the Bobcats’ 31-14 victory against Avila University in the season opener. He finished with seven tackle and one fumble recovery in a 40-20 win over Central Methodist in game two followed by five tackles, including one for a loss in a 21-19 loss to Evangel.

Butler has yet to compile any statistics for the season.

In 2016, the Bobcats finished 5-6 overall and 1-4 in the HAAC.

Bullard was limited to just six games due to injury in his sophomore season. He finished with 24 tackles and six passes defended on the year.

His top outings of the season included four tackles and two passes defended against Avila and 10 tackles against Mid America Nazarene.

In his freshman season with the Bobcats, he appeared in seven games and finished with seven tackles, four passes broken up and one interception.

Butler, in his freshman season at wide receiver, caught just two passes for 12 yards.

In the team’s outlook preview, head coach Steve Schneider expressed cautious optimism about the season, particularly about the strength of conference play. Four teams in the HAAC were ranked in the preseason poll.

“Our guys are excited to get the season going. We had a great offseason and are ready to go,” stated Schneider.

He added: “We have a nucleus of players back. This is my sixth year as head coach and this is as much experience as we’ve had.”

At the high school level, Bullard and Butler were members of the Rabun Gap Nacoochee High School programme that led the team to an historic 11-3 finish overall on the season.

They led the Eagles to the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association State Championship, Division III title game.