Bulldogs suffer heartbreak of 22-20 loss in state title game

Maybe it was just Lyman’s year.The Lovell Bulldogs and the Lyman Eagles have identical 20-2 records over the last two seasons. Last year, the Bulldogs beat Lyman twice including the state title game in Laramie. This year it was Lyman who beat the Bulldogs twice after edging Lovell 22-20 in Saturday’s 2A championship game in Laramie at the University of Wyoming’s War Memorial Stadium.Two evenly matched teams, both of whom dominated the 2A West this season, went head to head again on Saturday, and there really weren’t a lot of surprises between the two familiar foes, coach Doug Hazen said.“It went really a lot like we thought it would, except for the final score, which we hoped would be different,” Hazen said.Lyman loaded up to stop the Lovell running game and did so effectively, holding the Bulldogs to 32 yards rushing on 20 carries.“They average giving up only 19 yards per game,” Hazen said. “They have a very good defensive line and they pack three linebackers in there tight. That’s what they’re taking away. They’re not going to let you run the ball. So you have to pass it on them.”See the rest of the story in the Lovell Chronicle paper or digital edition. Go to our digital site to purchase a single issue or year-long subscription.[nggallery id=45]