The King’s Fork High School football team went to 2-2 on the season after a road loss to Western Branch High School on Friday.

The Bulldogs got off to a slow start against the Bruins, which contributed to their second loss of the season after the Bruins got a 16-14 win. Heading into the game, the Bulldogs were looked at as the favorites over a Bruins team that is now 2-2, with both wins coming at home.

“I felt like the defense battled hard, but I felt like we made some crucial mistakes on offense that didn’t help us,” Bulldogs Coach Kermit Buggs said.

The first half was a bit slow for the Bulldogs, as they were unable to put any points on the board. The Bruins were able to capitalize off some Bulldogs mistakes and took a 16-0 lead into halftime.

In the second half, the Bulldogs started to pick it up offensively and were able to make a few plays, but the first half proved to be the deciding factor in the game for the Bulldogs.

Natouris Knight scored both of the Bulldogs’ second-half touchdowns as he took a 35-yard pass for a touchdown and then added a 60-yard score.

“I felt like we hung in there and fought until the end,” Buggs said. “Even though our execution wasn’t totally there, our desire to win still was and we fought hard and battled hard.”

Going forward, the Bulldogs have hopes of running the ball better with a backfield being led by Leo Wethington. Despite the passing game efficiency last game, Buggs has felt good about the progress first-year starter Leonta Johnson has made at quarterback.

Next for the Bulldogs is a home matchup with the Warriors. Both teams want to be the best in the city of Suffolk, and the Bulldogs are already 1-0 against city opponents after a win over Lakeland. With a win over the Warriors Friday, King’s Fork will the 2019-2020 city champions after last winning it in during the 2017-2018 season.