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By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Three shutouts highlighted the Arkansas City Middle School eighth grade's 2008 football season.

One year after finishing 0-7, the Bullpups rebounded with a 4-3 record to tie for second place in Division III of the newly-formed Pioneer League.

The Bullpups opened the season with an 18-12 loss to Towanda-Circle, but rebounded with a 14-0 shutout of Haysville West.

Losses to Andover Central (26-6) and archrival Winfield (20-14) left the Bullpups 1-3 through their first four games.

It was all downhill from there.

ACMS outscored the opposition 64-6 the rest of the way, including a 32-0 pasting of Haysville and a 12-0 whitewash of Andover. The Bullpups closed the season with a 20-6 trouncing of Augusta.

"If not for two big plays against us in both the Circle and Winfield games, we could have been 6-1 real easy," head coach Jeff Shaw said. "Coach Brian Reid and I really enjoyed working with this group of kids. We didn't win as many games as we wanted, but our team really improved as the season progressed."