After one of their most forgetful games of the season, the Dutchtown Bulldogs must refocus for the winless Eagle’s Landing Golden Eagles this Friday.

Last week, the Bulldogs (4-2 overall, 0-1 sub-region 4A-AAAA) built a 31-point lead against Locust Grove only to see it wither away before an excruciating 40-37 loss.

“It was very disheartening,” Dutchtown coach Jason Galt said. “I did a poor job as a coach preparing us for the second half. We basically self-destructed and that’s my fault. I take blame for it. It’s nobody else fault but mine. Locust grove got their kids ready to play in the second half and they won the game.”

“It was an incredible game,” Locust Grove football coach Clint Satterfield said.

The Bulldogs surrendered 32 straight points before temporarily regaining the lead then missing the tying field goal as time expired.

“We didn’t do a very good job of handling success as players or coaches,” Galt said. “We thought the game was basically in the bag and we didn’t have to play anymore. We thought we would just show up in the second half and they would roll over and we’d win the game.”

Dutchtown had its four-game winning streak ended and now has to face Eagle’s Landing (0-6, 0-1), which has lost 15 straight games dating back to last season.

“Football is all about focusing on the next game,” Galt said. “Eagle’s Landing has some good players over there. They have just been a little unlucky. They have been in just about every game they have played but haven’t been able to get that actual win.”

If the Bulldogs dominate every statistical category like against Locust Grove and finish, they will earn their first win in this brief series.

“We’ve been talking all year about this part of the season,” Galt said. “This is the most important part. This is to get into the playoffs and ultimately get to the state championship. We got to win. It’s a must-win situation.

“It’s not like if we lose we’re out of the playoff hunt,” Galt said. “But at the same time it makes it tougher for us so want to win this game and try to make our route to the playoffs a little bit easier.”

After their homecoming contest against the Golden Eagles, the Bulldogs visit Stockbridge (5-1, 1-0), which will return from its bye week on a five-game winning streak.