The Ida Baker Bulldogs controlled the game from the start, handily defeating the Lehigh Lightning 27-0 Friday night at Lehigh.

Baker scored on its first two drives, essentially putting away the Lightning by halftime. The Bulldogs received the opening kickoff and promptly went on an 11-play, 78-yard touchdown drive. The drive was powered by senior running back Joseph Byrd with five carries for 35 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown.

The Bulldogs halted the Lightning by forcing a fumble on third down, which Lehigh quickly recovered. Baker return man/receiver Darryl Gary fumbled the ensuing punt, but luckily fellow Bulldog Joab Sparks was in place to fall on it.

Baker coach Brian Conn went back to his successful recipe of Byrd running, offset by quick screens and play action passes. The big play of the drive came on third down, when junior quarterback Sean Francis dashed to the Lehigh 8-yard line. He scored three plays later on a quarterback sneak, putting Baker up 14-0.

Lehigh appeared to be getting started with a long return inside Baker territory. The Bulldogs defense proved stingy, forcing the Lightning into a forth-and-seven. They tried to catch the Bulldog defense off guard with a fake punt, but Baker defensive end Felix Solano sniffed it out and made the tackle for a three-yard loss.

The teams traded punts on each of their next two possessions. Then with less than two minutes left in the half, the Bulldogs moved within striking distance with a big third-down reception by Gary.

Lightning sophomore Malik Simmons crushed their scoring drive with an interception followed by a 40-yard return to midfield.

Baker’s defense responded by swarming the quarterback, forcing him into an intentional grounding, and ending the first half.

A quarterback change put some enthusiasm back into the Lightning offense, which had yet to gain a first down. Back-to-back runs of 19 and 10 yards sparked Lehigh, but that was quickly extinguished by senior Andrew Haynes, whose interception and 48-yard return off a quick screen left the Bulldogs 15 yards away from another score.

“I knew it was coming,” Haynes said after the game. “I knew I could jump it.”

Two plays later, Conn went back to Haynes to cap the drive with an eight-yard run for six. There was trouble handling the snap, and the extra-point failed.

Lehigh showed glimpses of talent, most of which coming from senior utility player Larry Overstreet, who took snaps at quarterback and running back, as well as returning kicks.

Most of these glimpses where overshadowed by mistakes, leaving Lehigh little chance for success. The Lightning were never able to get past the Bulldogs’ 36-yard line.

An interception by Gary helped set up the final score of the night, a 22-yard run by Byrd, who finished with 19 carries for 121 yards and two scores.

Ida Baker 7 7 6 7 – 27

Lehigh 0 0 0 0 – 0