The Carmi-White County Bulldogs will make the trip to Flora on Thursday night for a Week 2 matchup against the Wolves. Both teams enter this contest with very different results from their season openers. The Bulldogs are looking to bounce back after a tough 46-8 loss at Johnston City, while Flora rides the momentum of a 28-14 road victory over Sesser-Valier.
For Carmi-White County, the opener was one to forget. The Bulldogs managed just 179 yards of total offense, struggling to establish any rhythm against a dominant Johnston City squad. The Indians looked every bit the powerhouse many expected, and they appear to be on a fast track toward another Black Diamond Conference title. Despite the lopsided score, the Bulldogs know that their season is far from defined by one game, and they’ll look to make quick adjustments heading into Week 2.
This week’s challenge doesn’t come without added difficulty. Due to an official shortage, this week’s contest was moved up to Thursday night, giving the Bulldogs one less day to prepare for a wide-range of formations that Flora will line up in.
Over the past couple of years, the Wolves have had a mainly spread attack, leaning heavily on senior quarterback Parker Helm (#15) and a skilled group of receivers. However, what made Flora dangerous in their opener was their variety. Against Sesser-Valier, the Wolves lined up not only in the spread, but also in the Double Wing Foot-to-Foot, Power I, Pistol, and Stack-I formations. The shift has made their offense less predictable, moving from a pass-heavy 70/30 balance in 2024 to an even 50/50 split between run and pass to begin the 2025 campaign.
Helm’s favorite target in Week 1 was wideout Gage Dugan (#7), who put together a standout performance with 4 catches for 120 yards and 2 touchdowns. Tight end Hudson Kohn (#88), and receivers Zane McKinney (#8) and Kehlin Crawford (#1) also contributed in the passing game.
Still, it was the running attack that stole the show. Junior running back Kormik Massie (#43) carried the ball 29 times for 127 yards and a score. A returning starter who earned All-BDC Second Team honors as a sophomore, Massie looks poised for a breakout season. Head Coach Brian Tackitt has made it clear that the Wolves’ ground game will be a priority, and if Week 1 was any indication, that plan is already paying dividends.
For Carmi-White County, they’ll need to see an improvement from the rushing attack in order to pull off a road victory in Week 2. The Bulldogs only rushed for 179 yards against Johnston City, and 57 of those yards came from the JV squad in the 2nd half.
“This is a group that Flora has been excited about. They have several good seniors, add in a good junior group and sprinkle in a couple of sophomores. With the short week of prep work, playing a top tier team in the BDC and us still being young and inexperienced, we have our hands full,” said CWC Head Coach Clinton Wolff. “I really like our two days of practice and I am excited for what could be the first Thursday Night football game in school history.”