AURORA – The goal in high school football is to get better each week.

It is safe to say the Batesville Bulldogs are right on track.

The Bulldogs traveled to South Dearborn High School and picked up an important road win in the Eastern Indiana Athletic Conference by a score of 34-7.

The return of a few players from the injury list helped, but there was something different this week as compared to the last two victories.

Spirit, attitude and emotion all come to mind.

“We were in the right frame of mind to play football tonight,” BHS head coach Eric Heppner said. “We were on our game and played with a lot more emotion.

“I am so proud of the way these kids responded and played against a solid South Dearborn team,” he added.

Scoring 34 points will win a lot of football games, but it was the defense that set the tone in this victory. On two separate occasions in the first quarter, the Knights were inside the Batesville 30 yard line, including once at the nine. Both instances resulted in zero points and the Bulldogs taking over on downs.

“Defensively, our technique got better over the week, but we also developed a little bit of an attitude,” Heppner said.

Much like the past two weeks, senior Jeremy Cook kick-started the Bulldogs on offense. The BHS senior returned the opening kickoff 63 yards to set up the game’s first touchdown.

A pass interference call on fourth down by the Knights kept the Bulldogs’ hopes alive. On the next play, Cook scampered 18 yards for the touchdown. Gordon Lang found the end zone on the two-point conversion and Bulldogs were on top 8-0 with 9:27 to play in the first quarter.

There is just no substitute for speed and the Bulldogs seem to have plenty of it. After the Bulldogs got the first of two key defensive stops, they took over on their own 26 yard line. Three plays later, Lang quickly distanced himself from all the South Dearborn defenders and 60 yards later was crossing the goal line.

Batesville added one more score in the second quarter to extend the lead to 22-0 at the intermission. Quarterback Connor Kelley hit Cook over the middle with a pass play for a 42 yard gain and put the Bulldogs in Knights territory. Cook scored from six yards out seven plays later. Ryan Hartman, who was back from an injury, scored the two-point conversion.

The Bulldogs forced the Knights to punt on their first two possessions of the second half. The second time it was senior Michael Lanning returning the kick to the 28 yard line, which set up a 12 yard Hartman touchdown run three plays later.

The final Batesville touchdown came at the 8:17 mark in the fourth quarter. Lang‘s speed was again a factor as he went 30 yards for the score.