NEDERLAND - As quickly as the West Brook Bruins had started their magical season-opening winning streak, it came to an end Friday night.

Nederland linemen Ron Mohica and Trey Thibodeaux led a swarm of teammates stopping West Brook quarterback Billy Chavis as he tried to skirt left end on a two-point conversion try with 46 seconds left to preserve a 14-13 win for the Bulldogs.

In the process, they nailed down a win that Nederland coach Larry Neumann says could be magical for the Bulldogs.

"There's a tremendous story about our football team and how they played behind some aches and pains and bruises," Neumann said. "When you play a tough physical football game against a tough physical team, you feel it. I don't know if West Brook felt it as much as we did, but we felt it.

"But our players sustained themselves and played to a level that's still productive. When you win a game like that just by sustaining yourself, it carries you a long way as the season goes on. I've seen that before.
 

"To win by one, making a great stop on a two-point play, it's more than it looks like from the stands, I'll tell you that. It was a giant win, a giant win. Giant. It'll be a great thing for us in the future. And it was something we needed, to be quite honest with you."

The Bulldogs have had a tough season, give or take their opening win over Texas City. And things weren't looking all that rosy when a couple of turnovers and a missed field goal figured in them trailing the Bruins 7-0 at the half.

In fact, until Mohica and company made the game-saving stop, the fans' loudest cheers hadn't come for either of two third-quarter touchdown runs that had put Nederland ahead 14-7.

They came for senior Zac Wallace and his two successful extra-point kicks.

The Bulldogs, of course, were 0 for 5 on extra-points in last week's 32-30 loss to West Orange-Stark.

The win in Friday's non-district game before a packed house at Bulldog Stadium lifted Nederland to 2-1 for the season, the same record as West Brook.

The Bruins, still looking for their first winning season since Chip Ambres quarterbacked there in the late 90s, had stunned Beaumont Ozen 35-34 with a two-point play in overtime before manhandling Beaumont Central 45-0 last week.

Neumann was hardly stunned by West Brook coach Al Rabb's decision to roll the dice for an all-or-nothing end to the game instead of kicking the extra point and going to overtime.

"I didn't really think he'd kick it," the Bulldog boss said. "The reason I didn't was the nature of the night, the humidity, and knowing Al had done the same thing in the Ozen game.

"In fact, I told Delbert (defensive coordinator Delbert Spell) before they scored that if they scored they were going for two and to try to get our thoughts together on what we wanted to call in that situation."

Rabb said a bevy of injuries and the second-half success of Nederland's running game made his decision for him.

"I thought we had a good play call," Rabb said. "The way the kids were going and the injuries we were accumulating I didn't think putting Nederland on a short field in overtime was real healthy for us," Rabb said.

The Bruins played without star running back Quinn Pinson, who awaits a Tuesday diagnosis on the severity of a knee injury. During Friday's game, Bruin players were hobbling to the sidelines with regularity.

Nederland lost playmaker Ryan Butler for much of the second half with a leg injury and the Bulldogs played the second half without starting offensive tackle Landon Louviere. Sophomore Colby Miller played in his place.

West Brook and Nederland combined to miss three field goal tries before the Bruins took a 7-0 second-quarter lead on a 45-yard pass from Chavis to wide receiver Blake Kelley and Jonathan Cruz' extra point.

Cruz finished the half 0 for 3 on three-pointers, coming up short twice from 47 yards and having a 43-yard try blocked.

Nederland's Clint Whitaker missed a 36-yard try that came after one of the Bulldogs' uncharacteristic first-half booboos.

The Bulldogs were lined up for a 31-yard field goal try, but were called for delay of the game coming out of a timeout called by the Bruins, backing them up five more yards.

"I never saw the ref put the ball in play," Neumann said. "I messed it up. We won't do it again, because we'll have eyes on every referee every timeout from now on."

Nederland's biggest goofs of the first half came on its first two possessions.

Quarterback Dustin Hood, who completed 9 fo 20 passes for 158 yards, got the Bulldogs' first possession off and running when he and Butler hooked up for a 64-yard gain on a play that saw two Bruin secondary men collide. But his floater into the end zone three plays later was picked off by WB's Jordan Lewis.

And Nederland's second drive ended when Micah Mosley fumbled at midfield.

It made for an interesting halftime speech.

The Bulldogs came back with two third-quarter scoring drives to take a 14-7 lead. Mosley, who rushed for 103 yards on 20 carries, scored from seven yards out to cap a six-play, 61-yard push with 7:48 left in the third quarter.

Hood's 28-yard pass to Tyler Thompson set up that first score. The Bulldogs' kept it on the ground as they went 50 yards in six plays on their next drive, with Hood sneaking over from two yards out with 3:49 left in the third.

Chavis, the Bruins' talented sophomore quarterback, led his team with 71 yards rushing and passed for 91 more. He led West Brook 82 yards in 13 plays late in the game, scoring on a two-yard run around right end with 46 seconds to go.

But when he tried to run the same play to the other side, the Bulldogs were ready.