Wheeler Dominates Second Half To Claim Region Championship

The Wheeler County High School Bulldogs football team secured the Region Championship on Friday night in Alamo, overcoming an early deficit to rout the Treutlen County High School Vikings in a stunning 58-14 victory. After a hardfought first half, the Bulldogs’ offense exploded in the third quarter, while their defense shut down the Vikings’ attack, earning Wheeler County the coveted title.

The game started with the Vikings seizing the momentum, jumping out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. Treutlen’s running back Za'kian Tobler proved a formidable threat early on, punching in a 1-yard rushing touchdown followed by a successful 2-point rush to establish the 2-score advantage.

However, the Bulldogs quickly demonstrated why they were fighting for the Championship. Wheeler County’s star back, Alvin Ricks, answered the call with back-to-back rushing touchdowns, both followed by good PATs from Jandel Ramirez, knotting the score at 14-14 before the close of the first quarter.

The second quarter remained a defensive struggle until the final minute. Ricks found the end zone again just before halftime, giving the Bulldogs their first lead of the night, 21-14, which they carried into the locker room.

The second half was all Wheeler County. The Bulldogs turned the Region Championship matchup into a showcase of relentless rushing and suffocating defense.

Ricks quickly picked up where he left off, scoring his fourth touchdown on a 31yard run early in the third quarter. The continued from page

momentum continued to swing, and Ricks found paydirt for an astonishing fifth time minutes later, breaking free for a 42-yard score. With Ramirez’s kicks good on both, the score moved to 35-14.

Not to be left out, Justin Culver contributed to the offensive explosion, powering in an 18-yard rushing touchdown to push the lead to 42-14. Jahkoryan Dinkins added to the lead with 3:15 left in the third with a 30-yard run for another Wheeler score. With the extra point from Ramirez, that pushed the lead to 49-14.

The third quarter dominance culminated when a bad snap on a Treutlen punt resulted in a safety for the Bulldogs, contributing to a massive third-quarter, and extending the lead to 51-14.

In the fourth quarter, Malik Madison delivered the final blow with an 18yard rushing touchdown, capped by another good PAT from Ramirez, setting the final score at 58-14.

Wheeler County’s backfield put on a historic performance, tallying 420 total rushing yards and 8 rushing touchdowns. Alvin Ricks led the charge with a monster performance, rushing 19 times for 205 yards and 5 touchdowns. Justin Culver complimented the effort perfectly, adding 100 yards and a score on 10 carries, while Malik Madison contributed 46 yards and a touchdown on 5 carries. Equally impressive was the Bulldogs’ defense, which shut out the Vikings in the second half. The unit allowed just 87 total yards and contributed to the scoring column with a safety and a forced fumble.

The Bulldogs finish the regular season with a perfect 10-0 record and the Region Championship, their first title in school history. The Vikings are now 6-4 on the year and they are 4-2 in Region play ending in third place in the Region.

Both teams will have this week off before kicking off the GHSA State Playoffs next week. Wheeler County will host Manchester in their first game, while Treutlen will be on the road next week to take on Mt. Zion.