The losing streak is officially over for first-year headfootball coach Brooks Burns and his West Lincoln Bears. Thursdaynight at Perry Miller Field, Burns’ Bears stopped the DexterBulldogs 20-8 for a Region 4-1A victory and West Lincoln’s firstwin of the 2004 season.

West Lincoln ended a 10-game losing streaking, including thelast 3 games of the 2003 season.

“All week, we stated to our players we have to win on thescrimmage lines,” said Burns following the win. “Being consistenton offense and defense. We managed to do that by shutting downtheir running game. And eliminating our mistakes. And because ofthat, we won because we maintained our scrimmage lines.

“But overall, I’m very proud of the effort we had,” continuedBurns. “We worked very hard and it paid off.”

West Lincoln improved to 1-7 on the season and 1-5 in regionplay. Dexter falls to 1-5 in the region and 1-7 overall.

“We are a very young team,” said Dexter head coach RandySumrall. “We have a lot of learning to do. We did not have anybreaks go our way. We also started the game off on the wrong note,fumbling the football on our first possession.

“We are playing short handed due to some injuries to ourstarters,” added Sumrall. “Having only 15 player dressed to play,we just had our hands full.”

Freshman halfback Darnell Sampson scored all 3 West Lincolntouchdowns. Sampson carried the ball 29 times for 210 yards.

“Darnell Sampson ran the ball very well for us and he also did agood job on defense,” stated Burns.

West Lincoln recovered a Dexter fumble in the first quarter toset up the first score. Sampson scrambled from 3 yards out for thetouchdown and Kevin Lofton ran the 2-point conversion for thehosts’ 8-0 lead with 4:53 left.

Sampson exploded for an 83 yard touchdown-run with 4:44remaining in the second quarter to push the Bears’ lead to 14-0over the Bulldogs. The run for 2 points failed.

West Lincoln’s defense rose to the offensive challenge by Dexterin the first half. The Bears stopped the Bulldogs 3 times in thered zone. At the end of the second quarter, West Lincoln heldDexter to four downs as time expired with the Bulldogs at theBears’ 6-yard line.

In the third quarter, Sampson scored his third TD of the game ona 6-yard run. The try for 2 points failed but the Bears pushedtheir lead to 20-0 with 8:27 left.

Sampson and Kevin King intercepted a pass to stop Dexter drivesin the third quarter. Sampson’s return was for 22 yards and Kingreturned his for 37 yards.

Rico Haynes broke loose to score a 32-yard TD for the Bulldogs’only score in the game with 10:58 left in the game.

West Lincoln’s defense turned up the intensity as King pickedoff his second Dexter pass and returned it 71 yards and helped theBears preserve their hard-fought win.

“Kevin King played an outstanding game for us defensively,coming up with 2 interceptions,” added Burns. “My defensive ends(Aaron McCaffery, Alton Hart, etc.) played an outstanding game,stepping in and forcing their runners to go inside.”

Leading Dexter with 21 rushes for 154 yards was Haynes. Atquarterback, Haynes completed 11 of 18 passes for 96 yards and wasintercepted 3 times. Catching 5 passes for 28 yard was BradleyWeary followed by Cody Moreau with 42 yards on 3 catches.

Defensively, Roberts led the Bears with 15tackles. Nine tackles were collected by Mark Case. Making 9 stopswas Phillip Jarancik.

Haynes led the Bulldogs with 12 tackles. Darren Weary followedwith 7 tackles. Bradley Weary and Cody Stogner each had 5stops.

West Lincoln travel to Stringer next Friday, Oct. 22, foranother region game.