Jags, turnovers rip Dogs 47-7
BEAUMONT -- Visions of a District 20-4A football championship may have danced through the heads of Central's Jaguars after Saturday night's so-called big game.
Nederland was supposed to offer the undefeated Beaumonters a vision of playoff-caliber football. But the biggest thing about the Bulldogs on this breezy night at Babe Zaharias Stadium was Nederland's turnover total -- eight.
Coach David Suggs and his Jaguars offered fans some visions of pre-1960's football by lining up much of the night in an original old T formation. The Jags pounded the Dogs on both sides of the trench line, outrushing Nederland 356-57 and capturing a 47-7 victory that was basically a walk in the park after midway in the second quarter.
Never in Larry Neumann's 10 seasons at Nederland have the Bulldogs suffered that decisive a loss. You have to go back to 1992 -- coach Bobby August's last season -- to find a 54-0 loss against Port Neches-Groves.
More than coincidentally, the previous largest margin of defeat for Neumann at Nederland also came at the hands of Suggs. David's Lincoln district co-champs pounded the Bulldogs 42-8 last year in Memorial Stadium.
Central (7-0 and 5-0) snapped the ball for more than 30 minutes of this 48-minute game and offered their excited fans a vision of possibly becoming a Top 10 state-ranked team one day soon. Nederland (3-3 and 2-2) gave a vision to its fans just how difficult life can feel when the opponent can own the line of scrimmage.
Visions. Central senior halfback/defensive end David Dixon (6 carries for 92 yards) said Suggs and the Jaguars coaching staff had the squad "mentally focused" to play at its high level.
Suggs introduced Central to the dead-T formation in practice on Tuesday. When Dixon took a pitchback for the first time from his left halfback position, he ran like the wind 42 yards to tie the game with 7:21 left in the first quarter.
That score offset Kirk Dean's quick touchdown toss to Jake Askew a couple of minutes earlier. Nederland would continue its flawless play when Chris Wright would down Curtis Parks' punt at Central's 2. The Jaguars simply replied with a 98-yard, six-play series as Deven Stevens dashed the final 73 yards on a sweep to his left side.
That's before the turnovers drenched Nederland far worse than Hurricane Lili ever dampened Southeast Texas. Seven fumbles... six lost fumbles... two interceptions... two of the fumbles returned for Central touchdowns... a third fumble preventing Nederland from scoring a touchdown.
"It was uncharacteristic of a Nederland team to have those mistakes," Suggs said. "I was real surprised. Coach Neumann does a real good job with that team.
"We went to the T formation because we thought we needed to take advantage of our backs' depth to do that."
Did they ever? Eleven different Central ball carriers were recorded on Saturday night's rushing chart. It was enough domination -- 59 rushes for 356 yards -- to make most winning coaches happy. But Suggs was not that overjoyed by his team's 115 penalty yards and other flaws in his team's performance.
"We're making early-year mistakes," he said. "It's much too deep into the year for us to be making those mistakes. Fundamentally and technically, we did not play the type of game we were taught to play."
Neumann tipped his hat to Suggs and his staff for Central's outing but he praised the solid and steady effort of his own team in defeat.
"Their offense really overwhelmed us with their power," Neumann said. "If some of those turnovers didn't happen, maybe our defense has a little different results. We had some turnovers that Central deserved the credit for forcing and we had some fumbles that were our fault.
"You throw all the turnovers in there and you have a 47-7 game. I'm not here to alibi but I'm proud of how our players kept playing hard."
Neumann was proud of junior quarterback Kirk Dean who passed for a season-high 176 yards and often had to unload the ball under heavy pressure. Dean's biggest completion of the night -- 56 yards to Askew -- moved the Dogs to Central's 2 on the second play of the second quarter.
Daniel Tompkins took Dean's handoff on the next play, intending to tie the game at two touchdowns apiece. Instead, Dixon and Kevin Thomas collided with Tompkins in mid-air atop the pile, jarring the ball loose. Central corner Patrick Barriere claimed the fumble in the end zone, opening a flood gate of unexpected Nederland turnovers.
Central's Michael Mitchell scooped up the next one and dashed 41 yards for a 20-7 lead when Dogs' Josh Atterberry hesitated on fielding a Jags' punt. Tompkins lost a second fumble moments later and Central outside backer Michael Hawkins ran it 56 yards for a 26-7 edge.
Central had time for one more score with four seconds left in the half when Jordy Matherson and Michael Roberson clicked on a 32-yard scoring lob over the middle. A 37-yard Lance Moye interception return placed the Jags in position to take a 40-7 edge in the final minute of the third quarter. Matherson sneaked the final yard and added a fourth-quarter touchdown, scooting untouched on the counter option play.
Central goes to West Orange-Stark this Friday night while Nederland hosts Little Cypress-Mauriceville on its second attempt to have a homecoming game this season.