MENDENHALL — The Franklin County Bulldogs had two opportunities inside the Mendenhall 10-yard line to get into the end zone in the first quarter.

Instead, Franklin County had to settle for a pair of 22-yard field goals by Coleman Graves and that proved to be costly as the Bulldogs fell to the Tigers Friday night, 27-19.

After a scoreless first quarter, Mendenhall quarterback Khadarel Hodge threw a pair of short touchdown passes in the second quarter to give the Tigers a 14-6 halftime lead. Hodge completed 4 of 9 passes for 87 yards with one interception and he added a 2-yard touchdown run with under a minute to go in the third quarter.

That turned out to be big after Billy Norman’s 50-yard touchdown run cut Mendenhall’s lead to just 14-12 with 3:18 remaining in that quarter and appeared to give Franklin County (2-4) some much-needed momentum.

Each team scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter. C.J. Williams scored on a 67-yard run for the Tigers with 6:48 to go and Jadarius Davis scored on a 21-yard run for the Bulldogs.

Davis completed 10 of 19 passes for 147 yards, but he also threw two interceptions. Milton Griffin was held to 54 yards rushing on seven carries.

Franklin County hosts Wilkinson County in the Region 7-3A opener for both teams next Friday at 7 p.m.