ELMIRA – The Sutherlin Bulldogs got started on a bad note and could never recover losing a Sky-Em League game 34-8 to the Elmira Falcons on the road Friday night.

On their first series, the Bulldogs were faced with 4th and long from their own 20 and faked a punt and the pass fell incomplete, turning the ball over on downs.

Five plays later Nathan LeCoe punched it in for the Falcons on their third try from the one to give them a 7-0 lead with 7:45 to go in the first quarter.

Elmira built it to 14-0 on a fourth and goal from the one, when freshman quarterback Cobyn Herbert was stopped, but was able to reach the ball over the line for the score.

Brady Nagel made it 20-0 with a 5-yard run with 9:49 to go in the third quarter.

On the next drive, Sutherlin finally got the passing game going and went 65-yards in 11 plays with Cade Meisner capping the drive by hitting Korbyn Jones for a 16-yard score. Meisner added the two-point conversion to make it 20-8, but that’s as close as it got.

Penalties and turnovers kept killing the Bulldogs offense. They had 12 penalties and two passes intercepted and they gave the Falcons good field position all night.

“We couldn’t get anything going in the second half. We just dug ourselves too much of a hole,” said coach Sean Radford.

Elmira scored a pair of touchdowns in the final quarter with Tyler Nickell catching a 10-yard pass from Herbert with 8:55 to go and Davis Kilmer going a yard for the final score of the game.

Meisner completed 16-of-39 passes for 163 yards, with two interceptions and a touchdown

Sutherlin (2-4; 1-2 Sky-Em) will be at home next Friday to host the Sweet Home Huskies, while Elmira (3-2; 1-2 Sky-Em) will go to Sisters Friday.