Dean showing good progress as Bulldogs QB
NEDERLAND -- Kirk Dean has been a much better quarterback than the 2002 football season's weather has given him credit for being.
Hey, how would you like to play with a wet ball and a soggy playing field every time you turned around each week?
Dean has been too strong to make excuses. The 6-1, 185-pound junior has not needed to apologize for his performances, efforts or results in his first full year as Nederland's varsity quarterback.
Kirk has improved over the season. He has learned the multitude of variables which impact on a quarterback's success .... including the wet weather which has besieged this football season.
Dean has matured at his position by dealing with both sides of coin. He has learned to operate with effective and ineffective running backs. He has functioned with effective and ineffective receivers. He has operated behind effective and ineffective offensive lines.
But the important element in evaluating Dean's progress is this -- Kirk has matured.
"I guess it's been hard," he said on his unique evolution at quarterback. "It tests your patience. It helps you to grow up."
Dean became the first freshman in Larry Neumann's 10 years at NHS to be promoted to the junior varsity as a quarterback. An injury to Will Delage at Vidor forced Dean into the varsity quarterback role in the second game of his sophomore season.
Neither fact in the previous paragraph tested Dean's patience whatsoever. Delage's return to the Nederland lineup would serve as the test for Dean's patience.
Completing more than 50 percent of his passes and leading Nederland to a 2-0 record as a starter (against Dayton and Brazosport), Dean returned to the bench while Delage started against Angleton.
Dean would complete only one pass and would play very sparingly in the remaining 10 games of the Bulldogs' season. How much did Dean's brief sophomore opportunity help him to prepare for this year?
"It helped me a lot," he said. "I was young. The coaches and players gave me a lot of support. You always want to play but whatever's best for the team and as long as we're winning..."
Lee and Connie Dean's 17-year-old son has realized the huge differences in the speed of the game -- from freshman to junior varsity and from JV to varsity football. He discovered early this season that he had many areas of improvement to make.
"We really hadn't jelled at the beginning of the year," Dean said. "I had a lot of fundamental problems, like setting my feet and working on play-action.... Last year when I played, I was real nervous. I didn't want to mess up. This year, I've tried to stay calm. I know that I need to improve more in my arm strength and my quickness."
A Dallas Cowboys lover in his younger days, Dean liked to watch Troy Aikman play quarterback. He remembered playing the position clear back to his third grade days in Pop Warner football.
Dean said he also recalled playing Pop Warner with some players on this year's Port Neches-Groves football team. The Bulldogs visit The Reservation on Friday night at 7:30 p.m., for their annual renewal of Mid-County Madness.
Both Mid-County teams desperately need a win to keep their playoff hopes on track next month.
"I think we will be able to run and throw it on them but they have some good linebackers and defensive linemen," Dean said.
NHS coach Larry Neumann has considered Dean's improvement to be a bright spot in this season of ups and downs in Nederland football.
"Kirk is getting better at assuming leadership and he's getting more comfortable at reading his keys," Neumann said. "As of late, his protection and his production throwing the ball has been better.
"He has a strong arm and quick feet. He can take a hit and he's proven to be very durable... The quarterback has so many subtle things that he does -- the way he handles himself and the decisions he has to make. Kirk has done a super job and he's moving in the right direction."
BULLDOG BITES
Top film grades vs. LC-M belonged to Weslie Weaver (87), Jake Askew (86), Chase Gentile, Chris Pierce, Josh Atterberry (85 each), Johnny Pittman and Tyler Nemeth (82 each), Jacob Gesser, Kirk Dean and Daniel Tompkins (81 each), Darin Smith, Josh Jones and Jarrett Hopson (80 each)... Tackle leaders vs. LC-M were Colin Weber (5 and 2), Josh Atterberry (5 and 0), Julian Nunez (4 and 3), Evan Foxworth (4 and 1) and Chris Pierce (2 and 6).... A Highland Park elementary school pep rally is set for Thursday at 2:30 and NHS is planning to hold its school-wide pep rally in the Dogdome on Friday at 2:45 p.m.... Senior LBs Eddie Romero (elbow) and Ross Matt (shoulder) missed the LC-M game but returned to practice this week. Junior RBs Ben Davis (knee) and Ashton Cummings (concussion) will not play this week. Davis underwent arthroscopic knee surgery last Thursday morning. Cummings sustained a concussion in the first half of the LC-M game.... Head coach Larry Neumann set he would wait until Thursday before settling on his starting lineup due to the injuries and suspensions within his team. Neumann had said Monday that juniors Josh Atterberry and Chris Wright would not start at PN-G because of truancy violations last week.... The Port Arthur News Friday Night Experience will air the Nederland-at-PN-G game on Saturday and Tuesday nights (Cable 7, 7 p.m.) in Mid- and South County.