The Umatilla High School football season has come to a close, but for the Bulldogs, this year was about more than just wins and losses. It was about belief, transformation and pride restored in a small Florida town that loves its football.

The Bulldogs finished an unforgettable campaign at 11-1, falling 45-36 in the SSAA Atlantic Division semifinals against West Nassau. The loss ended a dream run, but it hardly dimmed what the team accomplished.

Just a few seasons ago, Umatilla was a program known as a punching bag for many local teams averaging only two wins per season.

“This season has been unbelievable,” Umatilla Athletic Director Deta Brunson says. “We have not gone undefeated in the regular season since 1956. These young men have been working so hard these past couple years and the

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