Thibodeaux, WO-S prevail, 14-0

By TOM HALLIBURTON

Port Arthur News Sports Writer

As much attention as Jermaine Hope receives, fellow senior Jeff Thibodeaux may feel as if he's the "other" West Orange-Stark cornerback.

A quick vote of the WO-S eyes in the press box showed Thibodeaux belonged as the Mustangs' season MVP by Friday night.

The all-purpose senior converted the plays which counted as the Mustangs clinched at least a share of their 12th district football championship in 16 years with a rock-solid 14-0 shutout of an improving and game Thomas Jefferson before 8,000 in Memorial Stadium.

Coach Dan Hooks' determined playmakers (9-0 and 4-0) need a home-field win over next-door rival Little Cypress-Mauriceville next week in order to sew up their second perfect regular season in the last three years.

Certainly homecoming queen Antanique Landry and king Jeffrey Boutte would have preferred a different outcome. But the Yellow Jackets (6-3 and 2-2) must shift their focus to their season's most important game when they must play Lincoln (6-3 and 1-3) next Friday night in Memorial Stadium with considerable playoff implications at stake.

This was a defensive lover's delight and steady corner Thibodeaux was the man who made two of the game's biggest plays, catching a 40-yard second-quarter touchdown pass and dashing 15 yards with an interception to set the Mustangs' insurance touchdown later in the first half.

"Thibodeaux receives passes (1 for 40), he runs back kicks (five punt returns for 52 yards), he does everything," WO-S head hoss Hooks said. "He played real big for us tonight and he's been outstanding all year.

"I'm just happy we're 20-4A champions and don't have to win next week to get into the playoffs. Overall, the kids played well and did what we had to do. We're not a pretty football team. But this deal was like we won the fight but we got hit a lot."

While TJ assistant head coach Al Celaya and his staff will be assigned with the motivational responsibility of rebounding quickly for Lincoln, it might be argued that the Jackets actually improved as a team on this night. That's how good WO-S can be and that's how intense this shootout was conducted.

"This one is not over," Celaya said. "That's what I told our players. We're in the thick of things like we set out to be. We're in a must-win situation and we've got a team that can do it. All we can do it at this point is control what we do next Friday night.

"Those West Orange-Stark players are really a state-championship caliber defense. Containing (elusive TJ quarterback) Tony (Tompkins) is not an easy thing to do. Dan and Cornel's defense has proven every week to be able to make one or two plays that's made the difference for them. That's the sign of a champion."

The first of those two plays on Friday came with 10:50 left in the first half. Thibodeaux ran a slant route and caught a Jonathan Feathers pass around the 25. He took it right between a sandwich of Wayman Harrison and Gabriel Ruff. Thibodeaux split right between the two and took it to TJ's goal.

"It was a simple slant route," Thibodeaux said. "They (TJ's secondary) were in cover 2. I beat the corner and the safety came over late. I was fortunate enough to break a couple of tackles."

Thibodeaux's time came again after about a five-minute gap. Tompkins tried to roll out and connect with Harrison with five minutes left in the half. Thibodeaux intercepted the Tompkins' pass at TJ's 38, returned it to the 23 and WO-S doubled its score six plays later.

"We were in a zone," Thibodeaux recalled. "Tompkins started scrambling and for a second, my guy (Harrison) had me beat. Then I got an excellent break on the ball."

Completing only 2 of 14 passes for 10 yards, Tompkins often threw the ball under considerable duress. Dynamic linebacker Turquoy Riggs had eight first hits. Defensive coordinator Cornel Thompson also received superior work from senior free safety Michael Ledet and junior tackle Tyrone Brown.

When you talk about superior, you include Thompson, too. His "Chain-Gang" defense merely brought their lunch pails to work and gave up seven first downs and no points to an explosive TJ attack.

"They were dangerous and they had three real quality players (Tompkins, tailback James Johnson and tight end Kevin Everett)," Thompson said. "Our plan was to stop the run and control the pass."

Delivering another strong game, TJ's sophomore runner (Johnson) gained 94 yards on 25 carries and received a pass for seven more yards. That's 101 of TJ's 130 total, meaning the WO-S defense lowered its league-best average to 150.6 yards a game from 153.1.

TJ dented the WO-S 20-yard line one drive all night late in the third quarter but Brian Morgan's 35-yard field goal was ruled just wide to the right. Morgan missed a 49-yarder midway in the second quarter into a stiff southerly breeze.

WO-S was not the only defense to deliver a dazzling display. TJ limited the Mustangs' offense to 160 total yards and seven first downs. The Jackets reduced their game average to 221 yards a game from 228.6.

Ends Josh Stephens and Kevin Everett kept WO-S passer Feathers bottled up. Senior corner Ronzell Lavergne and junior linebacker Adrian Johnson intercepted Feathers' passes while Bryon West and Kenneth Hunt limited the 'Stangs ground game to two yards a pop.

"Both teams were ready and both defenses were good," Hooks said. "No, I don't think we were flat. Just give Al and their kids a lot of credit."

They will want more than credit when an even more explosive offense (Lincoln) collides with the Jackets next week.

Statistics fom Houston Chronicle

 

WO-Stark (9-0, 4-0)	14	0	0	0		--	14
PA Jefferson (6-3, 2-2)	0	0	0	0		--	0

WO--Thibodeaux 40 pass from Feathers (Frank Shuman kick) 10:50, 1st

WO--Vontear Edwards 10 run (Shuman kick) 2:19, 1st

Leading rushers WO--Darrow Judge 14-37. PAJ-- James Johnson 25-94.

Leading passers WO--Jonathan Feathers 4-8-2, 84 yards, 1 TD. PAJ--Tony Tompkins 2-14-1, 10 yards.

Leading receivers WO--Jeff Thibodeaux 1-40, 1 TD. PAJ--James Johnson 1-7.

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