Wheeler County Bulldogs Win Regional Championship Undefeated

The Wheeler County Bulldogs won the Region A Championship with a 58-14 score against the Treutlen County Vikings on Oct. 31 in the Bulldog Stadium in Alamo, moving on to the state playoffs with a 9-0 record.

Coach Thomas Smith attributes the team’s success towards approaching the season on a game-by-game basis. This approach allowed the team to maintain a steady level of morale throughout the season, both between and during games.

“I think you don’t want to get too high or feeling too good about what you just did, or you don’t want to get feeling too low about what you just did, so the big part, especially with high school kids, is if you can get them where they can control their emotions and… let each play be its own, whether you’ve just had the best play of your life or the worst play of your life,” said Smith.

According to Smith, the pressure of the championship seemed to affect his team during the Treutlen game, but he attributed it more to the size of the crowd.

The team has also been relatively injury-free, with no players missing multiple games due to an injury.

“We’ve had some guys that’s had to miss a game, but not multiple games, and that’s been really big this year,” said Smith.

Just prior to the start of the 2024 season, quarterback Reco Wooten was injured, resulting in the team falling back onto a wildcat-based offense. Wooten’s return in the 2025 season allowed the team to diversify its offensive strategies and tailor its approach to each game.

“My coaches joke around about it, how many plays we have to run at practice just so that we are able to do whichever one we’re needing to do that night, and our kids have done a good job with it,” said Smith.

The team would review footage of past games to determine what approach would best fit their next matchup, and the team also developed the ability to adapt and switch approaches mid-game.

The Bulldogs used a more aggressive 3-5 defense to better utilize the team’s smaller, more agile players. Smith gave special mention to defensive end Justin Culver, who served as an all-region linebacker in 2024.

“I thought Justin showed tremendous trust and character by being willing to move down there, but he probably played the best he’s ever played last week,” Smith said.

According to Smith, 21 different players achieved Player of the Week during the season. However, a large part of the team’s training was “getting them to play for the guy beside them.”

Smith also thanked his coaches, as well as the school administration and the Wheeler County community.

“We’ve had tremendous community support as far as guys donating time or money to feed the players, to come by and, last week, we probably had 30 or 40 alumni that had played for us come by and talk to the guys, and that kind of stuff,” Smith said. “And then all the way from just community to administration, we have a tremendous administration that doesn’t just care about them on the field, but cares about them as well-rounded students.”

Winning the regional championship also allows Wheeler County to host their first game of the playoffs, allowing the team to rest without worrying about travel.

“We’re not having to go on the road and being able to host the playoff game here, I think, our community does a great job of bringing that little extra for our guys,” said Smith.

 The Bulldogs will begin their playoff run on Nov. 14 in the Bulldog Stadium against the Manchester Blue Devils.