After a year hiatus, the Chelsea football team found itself in a familiar spot on top the final SEC White conference standings when the Bulldogs defeated Jackson 21-14 Friday night to claim the outright league title.
It is the Bulldogs fourth SEC White title in five years after Tecumseh knocked them off their perch in 2022.
The win was also the sixth in a row for the Bulldogs after a season-opening loss to Grand Rapids Northview.
Chelsea looked like they were going to run away with the game with a pair of first-quarter touchdowns to take a quick 14-0 lead.
The Bulldogs took the opening kickoff and drove 65 yards and capped it off with a five-yard TD pass from Luke Anstead to Max Herter.
The Chelsea defense forced a three-and-out in the Vikings first series and took advantage of a poor punt for great field position in Jackson territory.
The Bulldogs quickly moved in, and Tyson Hill rolled into the endzone from a yard out for a 14-0 lead.
While the Bulldogs dominated the first quarter, Jackson would do the same in the second.
Jackson put together a long drive with a strong running game and answered with a six-yard touchdown run to cut the lead to 14-7.
The Vikings would force Chelsea to turn the ball over on downs and again moved down the field and tied the game at 14 with a four-yard TD run heading into halftime.
Jackson received the opening kickoff of the second half, but the Chelsea defense forced a three-and-out and Chelsea took over at its own 35.
Anstead then hit Herter with a slant pass and he sprinted 55 yards inside the Vikings 20-yard line, setting up another one-yard TD run by Hill to give the Bulldogs a 21-14 lead.
The fourth quarter was a nail-biter for Chelsea fans as the Vikings had two quality scoring chances.
Jackson started driving at the end of the third quarter and moved to the Bulldogs five-yard line early in the fourth.
The Vikings quarterback fumbled a bad shotgun snap and the Bulldogs Regan Plank recovered at the 16-yard line to stop one drive with eight minutes left.
After a Chelsea three-and-out, Jackson took over with seven minutes left and drove to the Bulldogs ten. The Chelsea defense came up big and forced a fourth and nine and the Viking’s pass into the endzone was knocked away by Ethan Collins to give Chelsea the ball back with just over a minute remaining.
Chelsea would seal the win when Hill bulled his way for a first down with 38 seconds left and Jackson out of timeouts. The Bulldogs would line-up in victory formation and run the clock out for the Homecoming victory.
The Bulldogs will host Trenton Friday night and look to avenge a 2022 season-opening loss to the Trojans.
Photos by Mike Williamson
