'Pit bulls' needed for Texas City

By Tom Halliburton

The News Sports Writer

NEDERLAND -- For the past 79 football seasons, the nickname "Bulldogs" has been plenty good enough in describing the way Nederland's players should take to the playing field.

It might be argued that the 11 members of Nederland's defensive unit may prefer to run and hit more like "pit bulls" than Bulldogs tonight when Texas City will invade Bulldog Stadium for a much-anticipated 7:30 season opener.

Especially after this week's dismissal of three varsity players, Nederland's tacklers may answer the first whistle with a rather intense, angry demeanor anyway. But to add to the Nederland defense's degree of difficulty, Texas City will bring the whole package here tonight -- a star-studded, headline-grabbing tailback named Vincent Pervis.

This idea of playing Texas City was risky enough business last February when NHS 12th-year head coach Larry Neumann was inclined to agree to a two-year home-and-home series with Stingarees' fourth-year boss Tim Finn.

But this would be one of the best-timed victories in recent years for Neumann considering the turmoil he's encountered this week.

No head coach would prefer to dismiss a varsity player, no matter what the public might think. No news media member delights in having to report such news, either. But as NHS principal Randy Lupton so eloquently stated earlier this week, "There's no such thing as a perfect school."

Neumann's week began on a downer when three capable varsity contributors were required to leave the team for undisclosed student code violations. The "pit bull" in Neumann has been under wraps ever since, but it may be hard to keep it unleashed all day and all night on 2004's first game day.

What effect will it have on Nederland's players?

"I think time will tell," Neumann said. "I think our players are trying to recognize the team's adversity and the choices they have to make. I believe our players will turn it up and have a greater resolve for our goals. That's not going to be easy."

Neumann's Dogs opened each of the last two seasons with Texas City's next-door neighbor La Marque. The Cougars' 28-7 and 30-7 victories were enough for Neumann to consider other opening opponents.

"I thought it would be good to face a team other than La Marque that also had a good-caliber program," Neumann said. "They're big and fast and they have a formidable offense. Containment will be a major factor. We've had a problem with the deep passes."

The talk about Texas City undoubtedly starts with Pervis, 5-10, 173-pound tailback with 4.4 speed, as well as the ability to carry the ball over and over during a long night at the office.

That will cause Nederland's new defensive end starters Aaron Edgerly and Vincent Perricone to raise the levels of their game as high as possible... especially when you consider that Pervis rushed 283 times in 11 games for 1,665 yards and 19 touchdowns, leading District 23-4A in rushing as a junior.

A former defensive coordinator under previous Stings boss Rusty Dowling, Finn attended a funeral service on Thursday and was unavailable to comment. But the Texas City coach talked to the Galveston County Daily News about Pervis earlier this week.

"He's a good student, a leader and a gifted athlete," Finn was quoted as saying. "One of the schools looking at Vincent is academically strong Stanford and his grades are good enough to play there."

Pervis averaged 25 carries a game last year. He gained more than 200 yards in his first start as a sophomore tailback after he opened the 2002 year mainly on defense.

"My goal is fewer carries, but more yardage," Pervis has been quoted as saying when he talked about his senior campaign.

Ten Jasper offensive plays produced double-digit gains (10 or more yards) from scrimmage against Nederland's defense last week, although NHS outscored Jasper 33-13 in the scrimmage. In defeating NHS three times over the past two seasons, La Marque's offense rolled up 18, 11, and 10 double-digit gains from scrimmage against Nederland's defense.

Neumann, defensive coordinator Delbert Spell and his defensive assistants are well aware of the need to contain.

"We've got to be able to limit their big plays," Spell said.

The Bulldogs will rely on tackles Trey Thibodeaux and Ron Mohica to force Pervis out wide. That's where the burden shifts to corners Tyler Thompson and Andrew Ferguson. NHS also has to respect that passing of Stings QB Clay Puckett.

"Pervis is very good and we will need to gang-tackle and pursue well," Neumann said. "Their quarterback can throw the long ball well and he can make you miss him. You can tell they're talented on both sides of the ball."

Texas City's defense possesses great size up front. The Stings will seek to apply pressure and disrupt the rhythm of Dustin Hood, and his receivers.

But Nederland's defense has to keep the big gains under control to give Hood a fighting chance... in other words, they may have to play like "pit bulls."