Two weeks straight Enterprise has played very close games, and for two weeks straight Enterprise has come up just short. Friday night’s game was another very close game with Mize edging by Enterprise by a final score of 24-20.

Despite coming up short, the Yellow Jackets have nothing to hang their heads about. For four straight quarters Enterprise played their hearts out and gave everything they had. Trailing 12-6 at halftime, the Yellow Jackets came out in the second half a team with high emotions.

“Our kids played hard enough to win,” Enterprise coach Brooks Burns said. “They played well enough to win and deserved to win. We controlled the line of scrimmage and opened holes for the running game. Defense came up with stops. In a critical situation, I made a bad decision.”

Both teams came out playing good defense as neither team was able to fully sustain any offensive drives.

With just a little over a minute left in the first quarter, Mize found the end zone for the game’s first touchdown but missed the point after.

Enterprise’s second possession of the second quarter proved much better than their first, where they ended up punting the ball away.

The Yellow Jackets ate up time and yards as the running game got started. With 2:29 left before half time, Enterprise, failing to convert a two-point conversion, would tie up the game on an 8-yard rush.

As time was expiring in the first half, the Bulldogs would find the end zone one more time to go up 12-6 at half time.

Coming out of half time, the Yellow Jackets, who had given the ball to Mize on a kick off fumble, stood tall and forced the Bulldogs to punt the ball away.

Enterprise responded as they marched down the field, using passing and rushing, for their second touchdown of the game to take a 14-12 lead.

With over a minute left in the third quarter, Mize would once again find the endzone but failed to convert the two-point conversion. Heading into the final frame of the contest, the Bulldogs were up 18-14.

Although Enterprise moved the ball well on the opening of the fourth quarter, they eventually had to punt the ball away and were able to pin Mize on the 12-yard line.

The Yellow Jackets defense rose to the task of not allowing the Bulldogs to go down the field and forced Mize to punt the ball away. Enterprise managed to block the punt, setting themselves up with very good field position.

Enterprise soon found the end zone on an eight-yard rush, to take the lead once again.

The Yellow Jackets defense once again rose to the task of stopping Mize from scoring another touchdown as time was clicking away.

Possessing the ball around the 15-yard line, Enterprise found themselves facing a fourth and six and were ready to punt the ball away to let their defense attempt to win the game for them.

An offsides penalty gave the Yellow Jackets a fourth and one and another option rather than punting the ball away.

Going for the hard count, Enterprise was unable to force Mize offsides once again, so a time out was called.

Enterprise put it all on the line and went for the fourth down conversion but the Bulldogs were able to prevent the first down.

Mize, set up on good field possession, would soon find the end zone for the game’s final touchdown of the night, taking the game by a final score of 24-20.

Enterprise will start district play Friday as the travel to West Lincoln to take on the Bears. Kickoff starts at 7 p.m.

Story by Dave Linton