Hylton Bulldogs Victorious Against Rival Gar-Field Indians

A game that looked like it was over in the first half turned into a classic as two rivals faced off under the bright lights at Hylton High School. The atmosphere was electric as the fans from Hylton and Gar-Field filled the stands.  The Bulldogs were able to maintain their lead as time ran out in the fourth quarter of Friday night’s game against the Gar-Field Indians. 

Hylton’s defense stymied the Indians early as they jumped out to a 16-0 lead at 3:34 in the first quarter.  This forced Gar-Field Coach Gray to call two early timeouts to try and settle down his team. Hylton’s Kendal Hargrove began the game with a dunk, a steal and a 3-pointer and finishing the first half with 18 points. The Bulldogs’ defense played aggressive by guarding the passing lanes and getting a few early steals and jumping out to a 22-10 lead in the first quarter. With Junior Marcus Knight fighting hard to bring his team closer, the Indians struggled throughout the first half falling behind by 16 points despite Knight’s 8 points in the first quarter.   He eventually finished with 15 points in the game.   

In the second half, the Indians fought hard and stayed in the game behind the strong play of sophomore Curtis Lovitt. Shredding the defense with his ball handling skills, Lovitt scored 14 points in the second half and led the Indians back into the game.  While the Indians seemed as if they were getting closer and closer to closing the gap, Hylton was able to maintain composure and fend off Garfield’s rally.

Hylton’s Hargrove poured in an additional six points in the second half to finish with a game-high 24 points.  Bulldog guard Micah Parker also poured in 6 points and a key layup with 1:04 remaining to put the Bulldogs ahead 64-58.  At the end, Michael Hatfield stole the ball in the backcourt and finished the game with a lay-up. 

After the game, Hylton Principal Carolyn Custard believed “it was a good game, and while the team made her nervous [at the end of the game], she was happy they won.”

The Hylton Bulldogs will head to North Stafford Saturday, and the Gar-Field Indians will take on Potomac Tuesday.