Spirit Lake football coach Josh Bolluyt said he’s never been more optimistic after a defeat than he is following the top-ranked (2A) Indians’ season-opening loss to seventh-ranked (3A) Algona last Friday.

The Bulldogs took advantage of a 21-point second-quarter scoring surge and held off a couple of comeback attempts by the Indians to leave Spirit Lake with a 42-40 victory on Friday, Aug. 30.