Dogs find winning ways, 31-3
By TOM HALLIBURTON
Port Arthur News Sports Writer
Thomas Jefferson entered this anticipated District 20-4A lidlifter as the big-play team of these two but bullish Nederland produced far more of them.
That's why the Bulldogs continued among the state's Class 4A elite before 9,000 Friday night in Memorial Stadium with a 31-3 victory over the Yellow Jackets.
Nederland (6-0 and 1-0) said "welcome back" to its tailback Joe Ramoin, who rambled 19 times for 104 yards and one touchdown in his regular-season debut.
Nederland said "hello" to its defensive ability to pester the daylights out of an offense by using more wholesale blitzes than TJ should allow on its own property.
Nederland said "good work" to an offensive line of Big Dogs that are beginning to earn their own share of respect despite their inexperience.
Nederland said "glad you're healthy" to senior quarterback Kevin Barbay, who completed 5 of 10 passes for 99 yards, and two touchdowns, despite a scary ankle sprain last week at Angleton.
TJ (4-2 and 0-1) said "please give our starters more depth" after gallantly fighting with the heavily favored visitors on even terms for quite a few possessions.
"I think something that affected us a whole bunch was depth," TJ assistant head coach Al Celaya said. "It's just plain old depth. We've got some people who are banged up and that's crucial. We have got to get healthy right away."
Whether the Bulldogs win 20-4A may be decided against another Port Arthur school. Whether the Jackets remain a 4A playoff contender may be determined next Saturday night in Memorial Stadium when they host Port Neches-Groves (3-3 and 0-1).
But TJ received a strong vote of confidence from Nederland head coach and former TJ assistant Larry Neumann afterwards.
"I think Port Arthur Jefferson absolutely is a playoff contender," Neumann said. "I have a great deal of respect for them after tonight. They're the real deal. Don't let this score fool you."
This night's fine print suggested a more evenly fought contest than the 28-point victory margin indicated. Nederland fairly and squarely won and really beat TJ at its own game, converting 11 plays for 13 yards or longer. TJ answered with half as many and really only damaged Nederland's defense once on an accident right before the half.
That's when a pass appeared to deflect off Kevin Everett's fingertips and Jackets' receiver Kelton Lisby turned it into a 62-yard gainer to Nederland's 4 with one second left in the half. It set up Brian Morgan for a 22-yard field goal to end the half, cutting the gap to 14-3.
Nederland found the strangest way of accepting a gift for the early lead when TJ allowed a touchdown after an unsuccessful Jackets' backward pass. Terrance Gage took the snap from the NHS 28 early in the second quarter and threw for Tony Tompkins toward the Bulldogs' sideline.
It was just about the only time Nederland's defense found Tompkins (19 for 88) being still all night. The Jackets' tailback froze, thinking the play was an incomplete pass. Right corner Jacob Weeren alertly realized he had a live ball and dashed 67 yards with it for a touchdown with 10:22 left in the half.
"I just picked up the ball and did what the coaches told me to do - run 'til they tell me not to," Weeren said. "I could overhear coach (Delbert) Spell (Nederland's defensive coordinator) yelling for me to run."
Given that welcome kickstart, the Dogs scored on their next four possessions. They moved 80 yards in 12 plays right before the half to double their lead. A superior athletic play by Sean Yoder turned out the lights at 21-3 in the first three minutes of the third quarter. Then Michael Mitchell capped a 13-play series with a 30-yard field goal and Ramoin scored his season's first touchdown, capping a 96-yard drive with 3:59 to play.
Ramoin carried 19 times for 104 yards and the Bulldogs carved out 209 rushing yards on 36 rushes because their under-appreciated offensive line held its own against one of the league's better defensive fronts.
"I think that's a fair statement," said Neumann, tipping his black cap to his blockers. "I'm real satisfied with the progress there and I have to give a lot of credit to our center, Coleman McMains, for having a lot to do with that."
McMains, Adam Murty, Jordan May, Jason Bennett and Casey Cuccia appreciated the compliment. They haven't received such lavish praise very often this season.
"We had an excellent game," McMains said. "And TJ was pretty good. It helped us to play that well against that caliber of defense. We're coming together good. I've got to hand it to No. 43 (TJ nose tackle Kenneth Hunt). He's very good."
McMains and Matt Sanchez joined Weeren in the fumble recovery department by claiming a couple of free balls in the fourth quarter.
Yoder, meanwhile, turned in the knockout blow by grabbing Barbay's short pass and turning it into a 56-yard touchdown play on the fourth snap of the second half. Yoder went in motion, ran a wheel route and took off toward TJ's goal, after making an electrfying move on a Jackets' defender. The play came with 9:52 left in the third quarter.
Perhaps the night's most disappointing statistic for the Jackets was TJ's inability to be more productive in Nederland territory. TJ snapped the ball 27 times on the NHS side of the 50 but never reached the pay station. Delbert Spell's defense had a lot to do with that too, led by skillful ends Jeff Mayhew and Sanchez as well as Yoder, Ryan Cobb and Jarrod Bijeaux.
Spell admitted Nederland resorted to the blitz more than in its previous games.
"I think we blitzed more than we have," Spell said. "We worked on it but you never know how much you will blitz until you get into a game."
Armed with big plays and blitzes, the Bulldogs found novel
methods to run away score-wise even if the Jackets battled hard. Good teams have
that knack.
Statistics from Houston Chronicle
| Nederland | PA Jefferson |
| First downs | 16 | 13 |
| Rushes-yards | 36-209 | 35-115 |
| Comp-Att-Int. | 6-11-0 | 10-16-0 |
| Passing yards | 112 | 168 |
| Punts-avg. | 2-48 | 4-34 |
| Fumbles-lost | 2-2 | 3-3 |
| Penalties-yards | 5-42 | 8-62 |
| Nederland (6-0, 1-0) | 0 | 14 | 7 | 10 | -- | 31 | |
| PA Jefferson (4-2, 0-1) | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | -- | 3 | |
N--Jacob Weeren 67 fumble return (Michael Mitchell kick) 10:22, 2nd
N--Jake Askew 16 pass from Barbay (Mitchell kick) 1:13, 2nd
PA--FG Brian Morgan 22. 0:00, 2nd
N-- Sean Yoder 56 pass from Barbay (Mitchell kick) 9:52, 3rd
N--FG Mitchell 30. 10:53, 4th
N--Joe Ramoin 26 run (Mitchell kick) 3:59, 4th
Leading rushers N--Ramoin 19-104, 1 TD. PA--Tony Tompkins 19-88.
Leading passers N--Barbay 5-10-0, 99 yards, 2 TD. PA--Terrance Gage 9-14-0, 106 yards.
Leading receivers N--Yoder 1-56, 1 TD. PA--Kevin Everett 3-40.