READING — Win or lose, it was always going to be a tough game for Lynn English. Not only was it in enemy territory on the opening night of the Division 3 state tournament, but No. 1 Reading Memorial stood firmly in front of the No. 16 Bulldogs.

Despite a 48-0 rout in favor of Reading, it was an impressive season for Lynn English under first-year coach Tyllor McDonald. The Bulldogs stand at 6-3 and made a postseason appearance for the first time since 2019, according to McDonald.

Although they fell short on the scoreboard, McDonald remained “super proud” of his players.

“The result wasn’t what we wanted tonight, but as far as guys competing and playing with 100 percent effort, I’m super proud of the guys,” he said.

The Rockets’ offense – which includes a plethora of motions, play action, and option routes – made life difficult for the Bulldogs.

English couldn’t stop the run, which opened up the passing game for quarterback Jack Murphy, who threw for 67 first-half yards, including a 37-yard touchdown to Austin McClosky. The pass gave the Rockets a 21-0 lead early.

The real dangerman for the Rockets, however, was senior running back D’Von Burcy, who accounted for five of his team’s six first-half touchdowns.

Burcy collected 153 yards rushing and touchdowns of 8, 15, 50, 30, and 16 yards. The 16-yard rush was the last of the half, when he got to the outside and turned on the jets up the sideline to make it 41-0.

When asked what made Reading a tough team to stop, McDonald looked at its offensive line.

“Up front, they’re big. That matters and it’s everything,” he said. “That was the answer – them being big up front.”

The best drive for English was its first of the game. Running back Xavier Beauchamp received the first carry and took it 21 yards before being brought down.

English had a chance for a big play on the same drive, but on third down, the ball hit a receiver in stride before being dropped.

The second half came with more of the same. Reading controlled the line of scrimmage and the Rockets ran through massive holes. Sophomore fullback Brandon LaMontagne rushed for a 33-yard gain in which multiple Bulldogs couldn’t bring him down. On the next play, LaMontagne rushed one in to make it 48-0 after the extra point.

Now, English’s focus turns to Thanksgiving Day when the Bulldogs face traditional archrival Lynn Classical.

“It’s on the coaches to do their jobs and get these guys back on track,” McDonald said. “We go back to practice on Monday and it starts then and there.”