The Montevallo Bulldogs desperately needed to win Thursday night.

Despite having no hope of earning a playoff berth, sitting with a lackluster 4-5 record and facing a number of key injuries, the Bulldogs’ 16 seniors agreed they wanted their last game of the season against Vincent to go into the win column. Four quarters of smash-mouth football later, Montevallo emerged victorious, edging the Yellow Jackets, 28-26, on their home field.

&8220;This win is everything for us,&8221; Montevallo head coach Jim King said. &8220;Our seniors desperately wanted to get to 5-5. A 4-6 record is a losing record and they did not want to be remembered as a losing team.&8221;

The &8216;Dogs fought back from key injuries to win the game and were helped out by a failed field goal by the Jackets with less than a minute to go.

&8220;To come back from a 1-5 start shows that nobody on this team wanted to quit,&8221; King said.

The Bulldogs have played in a difficult division this season, playing in a region that boasts two teams ranked in the AHSAA coaches’ poll top-10.

&8220;When you play in a region where Dora is the fourth seed you begin to understand what you’re up against,&8221; King said.

The Bulldogs 26-player squad will take a huge hit this offseason as they say goodbye to 16 players scheduled to graduate. King said that the loss of the seniors will definitely be felt for years to come.

&8220;It has a huge impact on us,&8221; he said &8220;These seniors have meant everything for us and it will be tough to get by without them.&8221;

King said his team played well this year despite lacking in numbers and suffering from injuries.

&8220;We had our chances against each team we played, but we just couldn’t get the job done,&8221; he said.

The Jackets lined up for a 27-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter of Thursday’s game, but the snap went over the holder’s head and the ball was recovered by Montevallo.

The Bulldogs were able to run the clock out and joined together as a team for the last time at centerfield after the buzzer had sounded.

&8220;It’s very emotional for us,&8221; King said. &8220;This has been a difficult season, but none of us can say that we’re happy it’s over.&8221;