The Montevallo Bulldogs kept their playoff hopes alive last Friday night, with a gutsy goal line stand to preserve a 26-21 win over Beulah.

After going up 14-0, only to let Beulah come back, the Bulldogs had to stop a furious Beulah charge to overcome a another two-touchdown lead.

The entire game came down to a fourth-and-1 play at the Montevallo one-foot-line with 11 seconds left in the contest.

Montevallo head football coach Jim King gave credit to all the guys on the defensive front.

Phillip Evans led Montevallo rushers with 179 yards on 23 carries. He was closely followed by Desmond Piper with 153 yards on 16 carries.

Montevallo struck first on a 2-yard Evans run in the first quarter.

He scored again on a 14-yard run and added the 2-point play to put the Dawgs up 14-0.

Beulah responded with a 48-yard touchdown run and a 53-yard pass and PATs to tie the contest at 14-all.

Desmond Piper responded for the Dawgs, with a 61-yard touchdown run, and Evans added a 6-yard TD run. But both PAT failed, and the Bulldogs led 26-14.

With 6:37 left in the third quarter, Beulah struck with a 55-yard touchdown run and PAT to make a 26-21 ball game. The contest came down to goal line stand.

The Bulldogs rushed for 341 yards and passrf for 2, for a total of 343 yards total offense. Beulah had 229 yards rushing and 121 yards passing, for 350 yards total offense.

The win lifted Montevallo to 5-2, 3-2 with cross county rival and region foe Calera coming to call this Friday night. Calera, which is coming off its first loss of the season to Montgomery Academy, is 6-1,4-1 on the year.

King said the upcoming game with Calera is as &8220;intense as it gets&8221; for Calera and Montevallo