The battle of the Bulldogs went to Marbury on Friday, as it eased past Montevallo in the fourth quarter, 18-17.

Marbury took the lead with 3:30 remaining when Pierre Warren rushed for a 15-yard touchdown. The conversion attempt was no good, but one point was all Marbury needed for the win.

“We lost a hard-fought game,” Montevallo coach Jim King said. “We had so many injuries in the game, we just couldn’t overcome them.”

Marbury coach Kyle Glover said the team’s conditioning and experience went a long way toward the win.

“My hat’s off to Montevallo. Those kids play with a lot of heart,” he said. “We squandered opportunity after opportunity in the first half. I’ve said since game one this team had to grow up. I think that shows really good things about the character of these kids.”

Montevallo’s Toney Kent drew first blood, scoring on a 26-yard run in the second quarter. With 3:53 remaining in the half, Kevin Callender found Brandon Lilly for a 41-yard touchdown pass.

With 1:12 remaining, Marbury’s Wesley Warren responded with a 6-yard score. The kick was no good, and Marbury trailed by eight points, 14-6, at halftime.

In the third, an interception by Montevallo’s Deonte Lilly set up an 18-yard field goal by Gilberto Fernandez, making the score 17-6. Lilly intercepted again with just one second left in the third.

About midway into the fourth, Marbury’s Keston Chatman completed a 27-yard touchdown pass to Michael Hand. The conversion was no good, but Warren and the Marbury Bulldogs had the last word in this contest.