The Pike County Bulldogs didn’t end the 2015 football season where they wanted, but head coach Fred Holland still sees plenty of reasons to celebrate.

The Bulldogs advanced to the second round o the Class 3A state playoffs before falling to T.R. Miller 49-8. Pike County ended the year with a 9-2 record.

“The season didn’t end like it wanted it to, but I thought our guys played extremely well,” Holland said. “Overall I thought we were led by our seniors. Everything we accomplished this year was because of their leadership. I am proud of them for what they have done.”

Defense defined the 2015 team. The Bulldogs started the season with a five-game shutout streak. The Bulldogs hounded opponents, preaching the importance of not missing tackles, and it was rare to see the Bulldogs miss the opportunity to bring a ball carrier to the ground.

“They did some of the things the teams of old did,” Holland said. “They were able to get shutouts. They did a lot of things to get them to where they were. The kids were proud of the shutouts, and it showed throughout the year. They will go down as one of the best defenses the school has had.”

Defense is only half the battle if you want to win football games. The offense has to put up the numbers to make the defense’s efforts worthwhile.

Led by senior playmakers Deshon Cowling and Jerrell Lawson the Bulldogs outscored their opponents in the regular season by a whopping 403-20. The offense averaged 40 points per game during the regular season.

“They got better and they accomplished a whole lot,” Holland said. “They did a lot to help and improve the offense. What they did was great.”

The Bulldogs will lose 13 seniors to graduation, and Holland said he will miss those players.

“I was proud for how they made football fun for our families and fans,” Holland said. “They made it fun for people to come out and watch our program. I was proud of them for that and for all the hard work they put in to make the program what it is.”