COAL CITY, W.Va. — Doddridge County football coach Bobby Burnside likes the mental makeup of his team.
So when the Class AA No. 5 Bulldogs entered the fourth quarter of Friday’s quarterfinal trailing No. 4 Independence 27-26, there was no panic.
Rather, Burnside instilled in the Bulldogs to rely on their training and toughness as rain continued to intensity. Sound execution sure helped, too.
Brysen Dixon threw a go-ahead 8-yard touchdown pass to Caleb Hall and Landon Thomas returned an interception 65 yards for a score to seal Doddridge’s dramatic 38-27 triumph over the Patriots.
“Our team showed the heart and grit they have,” Burnside said. “We were undersized tonight. We’re down here, a long trip, we had a couple big injuries and just battled. The protection, the quarterback, the receivers, the plays made, it was a special effort and I’m glad it ended up in a victory for us.”
Doddridge 32, Independence 27, 8:14 4th qtr
Dixon 8-yard touchdown pass to Hall. Incomplete pass on 2-point attempt. #wvprepfb pic.twitter.com/I1pvs2llh5
— Greg Carey (@gcarey938) November 22, 2025
Hall’s touchdown reception came on third-and-goal and continued a theme throughout the night for DCHS (12-0), as the visitors were extremely successful in potential drive-ending downs with unfavorable distances.
That began early when Dixon broke out of the pocket and rushed for a 12-yard touchdown on fourth-and-9 to give the visitors a 6-0 lead 2:05 into the action.
“All their defensive backs and linebackers bailed and went to coverage, and I just saw the gap and I knew I had to get in there to get some points on the board,” Dixon said. “It fired us up and got us going.”
Independence (10-2) stalled in the red zone on its first series, which ended with quarterback Brock Green throwing an incomplete pass out of a field goal formation.
But the Patriots got a 46-yard punt return from Christian Linksweiler shortly after and Green plunged into the end zone on a 1-yard quarterback sneak to tie the game at 6.
Doddridge countered quickly and gained a 12-6 lead when Dixon threw a 54-yard touchdown pass to Jerod Trent on third-and-13 with 11 seconds left in the first quarter.
“He’s a tough kid. We run the football and people don’t know how good he is. The state saw tonight — Brysen Dixon is a very good quarterback,” Burnside said.
The Patriots also offered an abrupt response and Green found Kaden Bradbury for a 32-yard touchdown pass, with Micah Cuthbert converting the point-after kick to leave IHS with a 13-12 lead 11:30 before halftime.
Dixon’s 12-yard pass to Lyric Blake amounted to a fourth-and-9 conversion for DCHS on its next series, which ended with Blake’s 1-yard touchdown run. Dixon ran in the 2-point attempt to give the visitors a 20-13 advantage.
Green’s second 1-yard touchdown run marked the third Independence touchdown, but a second unsuccessful point-after attempt and empty red zone trip in the final minute of the half meant the home team trailed by one through two quarters.
But Green’s 43-yard pass to Bradbury on the opening series of the second half allowed the Patriots to regain momentum, and shortly after they regained the lead on Sylas Nelson’s 3-yard TD run. Green connected with Cuthbert on the 2-point pass to make it 27-20.
Dixon left momentarily with an injury and the Bulldogs turned it over on downs after consecutive incomplete passes during his absence. But the Doddridge defense delivered with a key interception by Blake, whose 4-yard return allowed the visitors to start at the Independence 24 with 4:01 left in the third quarter.
Dixon returned and threw a 10-yard pass to Josh DeHaven on fourth-and-6 that directly led to Brandon Davis’ 1-yard touchdown run. Dixon’s pass on the 2-point attempt was intercepted by Landon Phalin, leaving the Patriots in front by a point.
“It was my knee. It just got twisted up, but I walked it off a little bit and had to get back out there for my boys,” Dixon said.
But as the rain continued to intensify, the Patriots sputtered at a key time offensively and Green lost yardage and a fumble on a fourth-and-1 sneak attempt that the Bulldogs’ Dayne Murphy recovered at the IHS 42 on the first play of the fourth quarter.
Seven plays later, Dixon had his second touchdown pass and the Bulldogs were back on top with 8:14 remaining.
“They came out and scored right off the bat in the second half. We could’ve hung our heads, but that’s not what these guys do,” Burnside said. “They would’ve battled whether they got beat or won, but that battled until the end and had tons of heart.”
Following an exchange of punts, the Patriots were in prime position to lead late and started at the Doddridge 38 with 4:32 to play.
But after immediately facing third-and-7, Green’s pass was picked off by Thomas, who raced to the end zone to make it a two-score game for the first time.
“He’s a very athletic kid. He’s going to play at the next level. He plays d-end, because he can rush and seal the edge,” Burnside said. “It’s not his first interception either from d-end, but that was a spectacular play and just shows his athleticism.”
Doddridge 38, Independence 27, 3:13 4th qtr
Thomas returns an interception 65 yards for a touchdown and it’s a two score game for the first time. #wvprepfb pic.twitter.com/7whBhyvwxD
— Greg Carey (@gcarey938) November 22, 2025
Murphy recorded Doddridge’s third interception on the Patriots’ final possession.
Dixon completed 11 passes for 170 yards.
Hall rushed for a game-high 159 yards on 13 carries and Blake added 47 on 11 rushes.
Nelson rushed for 105 yards on 21 carries and Green completed 14-of-23 passes for 146 yards while rushing for 43 yards.
Bradbury’s 67 receiving yards led all players and Kellen Viars added a game-high seven receptions for 66 yards in defeat.
The Bulldogs await the winner of No. 1 Frankfort/No. 8 Mingo Central in a semifinal.
After watching his team tough it out in a driving rainstorm throughout the second half of a 38-27 win at Independence, Bulldogs’ head coach Bobby Burnside does the same and shares thoughts on the victory. #wvprepfb pic.twitter.com/098u0dKd10
— Greg Carey (@gcarey938) November 22, 2025