The Zephyrhills Bulldogs once again proved why they’re among the top-ranked teams in the state, dismantling the Freedom Patriots 50-0 Friday night in Tampa in a commanding district victory that pushed their record to 7-0.
From the opening kickoff, the Bulldogs overwhelmed the Patriots with explosive offense, stifling defense, and special teams excellence. Zephyrhills jumped out to a 29-0 lead by the end of the first quarter, leaving little doubt about the outcome.
Quarterback Patrick Harding led the charge with three touchdown passes and a rushing score. He connected with Kingston McCullough, Deori Pope, and Sanyiin Black for touchdowns, while Roe Miller and Graylon Johnson added rushing scores. The Bulldogs’ relentless start included a blocked punt by Ethan Stone that rolled through the end zone for a safety.
The night, however, belonged to Kingston McCullough, who accomplished a rare football “triple crown” — scoring on offense, defense, and special teams. McCullough hauled in a touchdown pass, returned an interception 21 yards for a score, and added a 35-yard punt return touchdown. He also caught a two-point conversion early in the first quarter.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen something like that,” said head coach Nick Carroll. “What can you say about a kid like that? I’m really happy for him. He deserves that, and he works really hard.”
Carroll, while pleased with his team’s undefeated start, knows the toughest part of the schedule is still to come. Zephyrhills closes out the regular season with games against South Sumter, Fivay, and Port Charlotte—three matchups that will determine playoff positioning and home-field advantage.
“Next week is the game against South Sumter that’s going to be a test,” Carroll said. “That’s the one where we’ll see how good we really are. I think it’s huge because that momentum would carry us into the district championship game against Fivay. And then we have Port Charlotte, and after that, we start the playoffs.”
Carroll said maintaining focus and finishing strong are key goals for the Bulldogs as they chase perfection.
“Every game moving forward, including this one, is really important for us to stack those wins and create success for us to play at home,” he said.
With another dominant win in the books, Zephyrhills looks poised and confident as they prepare for their biggest test yet — a road showdown with South Sumter next week.
