HANCEVILLE — No matter how loudly Hanceville’s band blasted Bruno Mars before Friday’s game, the Bulldogs weren’t going to be locked out of heaven on homecoming night.

On an evening that began with Shawn Anderton walking out to midfield for an emotional coin toss, Hanceville hammered Holly Pond 27-7 to end an eight-game skid dating back to the first round of last year’s playoffs.

The Dawgs’ record might read 1-7 (1-4 in Class 3A, Region 5) for the season, but for just one night, it was 1-0. Danny Miller couldn’t have been any prouder as a coach.

“We’ve had some guys that have left us and all that stuff, but these are the guys that stayed here, fought their butts off and did the things we’ve asked them to do,” he said. “For some of them, it would’ve been easy to quit and go do something else, but these guys hung in there.”

After the alma mater and a touching team breakdown centered around Anderton, Dant’e Reese made his way to the 50-yard line, knelt down and placed his head on the field he’s called home for the entirety of a prosperous prep career. The senior added a few more memories Friday night — 163 rushing yards, two touchdowns and a slew of defensive highlights — and was misty-eyed as he rose from his reflective state.

“Homecoming, last game I ever play on this field right here, it means the world to me,” Reese said. “I can’t ask nothing else.”

There was hardly a dry eye in the house as Anderton, proudly donning his No. 65 Hanceville jersey, stood from his wheelchair and walked arm in arm with Jose Orozco and Tristian Collins for the coin toss. The sophomore was severely injured in an accident on the beach during this past spring break and was initially unable to move his limbs. In the months since, Anderton has worked tirelessly to regain mobility and has served as an inspiration with his positivity and never-quit attitude.

“It really fired everyone up,” senior Christian James said of the moving moment. “I was ready to go.”

And go the Bulldogs did.

Reese cut loose for a 67-yard touchdown run on the game’s second snap from scrimmage, and Hanceville never looked back. The home squad padded its cushion with an 11-yard quarterback keeper by Branen Hurst on the first play of the second quarter and proceeded to tack on its last two scores before halftime.

The first came on a 7-yard scamper by Reese, while the second resulted from a short connection on third-and-long between Hurst and Orozco that the latter caught and carried for a 50-yard touchdown.

Hurst rode an impressive first half to a 6-of-11 passing performance for 123 yards, the scoring strike and an interception. Reese carried the load in a rushing attack that churned out 231 total yards, though James (40 yards) and Hurst (20 yards and the touchdown) also made their marks.

Orozco had the one reception for six points, Andrew Alldredge caught two passes for 42 yards and Reese had three for 31 yards.

The Bulldogs’ swarming defense made life difficult for Caleb Jones and Matt Doyle behind center for Holly Pond (0-8, 0-5). The two were sacked a grand total of six times, with half coming from Kaine Yates, two from James and the last from Hurst. Trent Cordes and Tanner Waldrep were among the Dawgs’ many defenders with at least one tackle for loss.

Orozco made an athletic interception early on, Isaac Weissend forced a fumble that Griffin Brown recovered and James also popped a ball loose.

“Everybody showed up to play tonight, and that’s what we’ve got to keep doing,” James said.

Holly Pond avoided the shutout with a touchdown inside the final minute. Doyle led the 97-yard scoring drive with back-to-back 16-yard runs and a 27-yard throw to John Phillips before Jones took advantage of a pass interference with a 25-yard touchdown tote down the right sideline.

Jones finished with 76 rushing yards on 26 carries, and Dakota Burks added a fumble recovery and interception on Hanceville’s first two possessions of the second half. Nathan Curry was a one-man wrecking crew to keep the Bulldogs out of the end zone and force the turnover on downs that set up the Broncos’ score.

Orozco was good for three extra points, and Luke Calvert made Holly Pond’s single attempt.

“They whipped us from the second play on,” Bronco coach Mike Bates said. “I thought we were prepared. Obviously I was wrong. But they were really well prepared. Danny’s always done a good job with them.”

With Holly Pond’s best chance to end a lengthy losing streak — it stretched to 18 games Friday night — come and gone, Bates will try to rally the troops for the team’s final two-game stretch. They’ll close out the season by hosting Winfield and Cold Springs.

“We’ve got very little choices. We’ll either keep working or we’ll quit,” Bates said. “That’s the only two ways it can go. I wish it could go a different way, but it can’t. There’s not a third option in this one.”

Miller’s advice to the Broncos was to keep working hard and listening to their coaches. Both were instrumental in the Bulldogs’ turnaround after the program snapped a 22-game skid in Miller’s first year on campus back in 2008.

“Sometimes it’s hard to convince them of that because they go out there and they work and they work and they don’t see any results on the scoreboard,” the coach said. “But if they just hang in there.”

Hanceville will look to end on a high note with road games at Susan Moore and Good Hope.

“We’re turning things around,” James said. “We’re going to try to finish the season off strong. There’s no going back now.”