The Brantley Bulldogs overpowered the Daleville War Hawks last Friday night, 22-12, closing out an almost perfect season.

The Bulldogs went 9-1 this year, with their one loss coming at the hands of cross-town rival Luverne in a huge 22-21 upset.

Nevertheless, Brantley came away with the Class 1A Region 2 title, and Friday night’s win over the War Hawks helped to seal a home-field playoff advantage.

“Daleville’s a bigger school, and they have more players than us, so that’s always a concern,” head coach David Lowery said. “But our kids did a great job of handling themselves Friday night, and I was proud of them.”

The Bulldogs wasted no time getting points on the scoreboard as Devonte Porter scored on the opening drive on a two-yard run; the PAT was blocked, and Brantley headed into the second quarter with a 6-0 lead.

During the second quarter, the Bulldog defense did not allow Daleville to get into the end zone. However, Brantley added two more touchdowns before the end of the first half to enjoy a 22-6 lead going into the locker room at halftime. The first TD came on an 8-yard run by Chase Hall, with Jared Wiley adding the two-point conversion. The next second-quarter score came on a 34-yard pass from quarterback Chase Hall to Adam Hill; Jamie Burnett got the two-point conversion for the Bulldogs.

Daleville finally got on the board as they scored on the last play of the first half on a pass play; the War Hawks’ two-point conversion attempt failed.

Daleville came out with a bang during the second half, however, as they scored on the opening drive of the third quarter. Again, they attempted a two-point conversion, and again, it failed. The 22-12 score would be the final points added for the night.

“We got down to the end zone a couple of times during the second half, but we just didn’t score,” Lowery said.

Derek Holley was the leading rusher for the Bulldogs, racking up 148 yards on 12 carries. Devonte Porter had 47 yards on 12 carries. Quarterback Chase Hall was 8 for 18 and had 118 yards passing.

Jared Wiley was the leading tackler with nine solos, three sacks, and one fumble recovery. Tory Upshaw and Cameron Wright had seven tackles each, and Cassius Tillis, who broke his hand Friday night, followed with five tackles.

This week, Brantley will face the Butler County Magnet School Panthers, and Lowery and his Dawgs have been getting ready for them all week.

BCMS, formerly Georgiana High School, is Coach Lowery’s alma mater.

“They’ve (BCMS) got a lot of speed and a lot of talent,” he said. “We’ll have to be ready for them.”

If Brantley defeats BCMS, they will play the winner of the McIntosh-Geneva County game in Bulldog Stadium.

Game time Friday night is 7 p.m.