North Platte (NPPost) - The end of the 2019 High School Football season once again had the Bulldogs on the outside looking in at the playoffs. A place no program wants to be. No heads hang low in the weight rooms of the High School. The team had MANY accomplishments to tout at the end of the season.
Firstly, Todd Rice in his second go around as Head Coach of the North Platte Bulldogs has seen marked improvement on the field in a new offensive and defensive scheme. He has also seen an uptick in ALL sports in the weight room, something he preaches day in and day out.
On the field, the team improved from one win in 2018, to three wins in 2019. The margin of loss shrunk considerably and there were a few games that Coach Rice felt the team "left on the table". North Platte finished with a 3-6 record and third place finish in district play.
As far as season accolades are concerned:
NPHS had four athletes recognized as GNAC All Conference Football players for this past season.
“GNAC All Conference selections are a strong reflection of our overall program. I am really proud of these players and they are great representatives of the continued improvement in our program." said Coach Rice.
The four athletes are:
Dalton Caley – SR Quarterback
Dalton had 91 rushing attempts for 333 yards and three touchdowns.
Passing – 11 completions in 26 attempts for 195 yards and four touchdowns.
Elliott Purdy – SR Tightend and Linebacker
Elliott was the leading tackler for the Bulldogs with 88 total tackles.
Elliott was also a starting TE.
Blake Vaughn – JR Running back and defensive back
Blake was the 2nd leading rusher for the Bulldogs with 61 attempts for 578 yards and 10 touchdowns. Blake averaged 9.5 yards per carry.
Defensively Blake started at corner and had 32 total tackles and 1 interception.
Cody Wright – JR Fullback
Cody was the leading rusher for the Bulldogs with 211 attempts for 1085 yards and 9 touchdowns. Cody rushed for over 100 yards in 7 of the Bulldogs 9 games.