On a windy, hot and late-summer night in Chadron, NE. The Alliance High Bulldogs kicked off their 2012 season against the Chadron Cardinals. The Bulldogs prevailed in the second half and captivated on a late fourth quarter touchdown to win 27-20.

Senior quarterback Isaac Burnham scored the first touchdown for the Bulldogs breaking the endzone with a 17-yard run. The point-after attempt was unsuccessful, so the Bulldogs lead 6-0 midway through the first quarter.

Burnham would score again on a 2-yard keeper, and with a failed two-point attempt the Bulldogs now led 12-0 in the second quarter. The Cardinals, led by their quarterback T.D. Stein, would score two touchdowns in the second to take a 14-12 lead. With :25 seconds remaining until halftime, the Bulldogs were trying all the possibilities to score before the break.

They did just that.

On a third-down from their own 19-yard line Burnham threw a short pass to Matulka who then pitched it back to Mitch Pancost who ran it another 81-yards into the endzone for an incredible touchdown. Burnham would covert the pass to Ryan Romick and the Bulldogs would take a 20-14 lead at the break.

The Cardinals would tie the game at 20-20 in the third quarter, but the Bulldogs would score late in the fourth to take a 27-20 lead.

The Bulldogs clinched a win with just under a minute left in the game when senior DB Tyson Dowler picked off the Cardinal’s pass which propelled the Bulldogs to victory.

The Bulldogs then went on to play the Aurora Huskies. It was a tough home-opener for the Bulldogs as they were defeated 14-28. Pancost scored off a rushing touchdown and junior Austin Davidson gave the Bulldogs some momentum in the 4th quarter

with an interception returned for a touchdown but the Bulldogs could not hang on.

Next for the Bulldogs will be a home game against Holdrege starting at 7 p.m. at Bulldog Stadium.