By Tom Halliburton - The News Sports Writer

  PASADENA - First thing first, Doc's OK. Nederland trainer Larry Southard lived to laugh about the brutal end of a violent sideline collision.

  Second thing second, so is Nederland's coaching staff. They are arguably the area's best one in Southeast Texas with nine straight bidistrict playoff victories to show for it.

  Last, but not least, the Doggies did their best, especially in the third quarter, dismissing pesky Houston C.E. King 34-16 on Saturday before about 6,000 at Memorial Stadium.

  Nederland (6-3) won another coin toss, too, although it was a much less-important matter than last Saturday's elimination coin toss in Beaumont. This time, Kilgore (10-1) and Nederland only needed to designate a home team. So Kilgore coach Mike Vallery tossed the quarter in the air. NHS mentor Larry Neumann called it 'heads' and it landed 'heads.'

  That toss enabled Nederland to be the home team in this Saturday's 4A Division II area playoff collision in Lufkin's Abe Martin Stadium at 2 p.m. Hopefully, none of next Saturday's collisions will be as damaging as Southard's.

  The veteran Nederland trainer was minding his own business midway in the opening quarter when C.E. King defender Zach Lacy was heading toward the Nederland sideline on an interception runback. Neumann believed he may have shielded Southard's line of vision at the necessary split second. Neumann avoided contact, but the impact caused Southard to land on his head.

  "Doc" was treated and released at a Pasadena hospital after sustaining a concussion. But at least he could joke about it during Saturday night's ride home.

  "Doc said he was going to wear a helmet next week," Neumann said after his victorious Nederlanders completed their return to campus.

  As for the lesser important matter - the football game - Nederland fans probably want to read more about the third quarter than any other portion of this outing. That's when the Dogs used a stiff 25-mph southerly breeze to help outscore King, 14-0, and pad their precarious 20-16 halftime lead.

  Nederland carved out a season-high 411 total yards and received single-game season rushing highs from both of its principal ball carriers. Junior tailback Micah Mosley enjoyed his second-best ground performance ever at Nederland, rushing 20 times for 181 yards and one touchdown. Mosley's only bigger outing was a 21-carry, 242-yard game against Ozen last season.

  Sophomore fullback Chris Gutierrez produced his season's most prolific rushing performance, carrying 11 times for 86 yards and two touchdowns. Gutierrez and fellow soph defensive end Dravanti Johnson were selected the offensive and defensive players of the game by the Port Arthur News Friday Night Experience telecast crew.

  Gutierrez was quick to lavish praise on his convoy of blockers. Mosley no doubt would have done the same. The work of Zach Bass, Joe Isbell, Adam Westbrook, Blaine Daniel and Matt Molina has been shining brighter over Nederland's last three games, in the estimation of line coaches Phil Pate and David Crommett.

  "They've moved it up a level," Crommett said. "They've adjusted and they're thinking. They're showing their maturity. Of course, they will have a large challenge next week."

  "We've all noticed it in practice," Pate agreed. "Coach Neumann has commented that they look crisp. It takes time for that to come together. I've never been able to put my finger on why or how it happens. But you know that you can sense it when it is happening."

  Bass escorted Danny Nguyen for nearly 40 yards on a wraparound draw which carried the Dogs to C.E. King's 3 in the third quarter's final two minutes. Nguyen's cousin, Gutierrez, pounded home the final three yards behind Bass, fattening the lead to its final 34-16 count with 1:44 left in the third.

  That's after Ryan Butler dove in at the tail end of a 31-yard end-around touchdown breeze with 6:46 left in the third quarter.

  By then, though, Nederland's defense was changing the game's complexion by frustrating King's attack. Defensive wizard Delbert Spell's halftime adjustments limited the Panthers to two third-quarter first downs and no second-half points. Of course, C.E. King was well within striking distance at intermission, trailing only 20-16.

  "We went to a different front and we stacked our corners like linebackers," Spell explained. "We made subtle changes in how we did it. We only misaligned one time in the second half. We went to an eight-man front to get an extra man on the quarterback. We used a cover three and made them try to beat us throwing."

  King's final passing numbers are quite misleading - 5 of 10 for 44 yards. The Panthers never completed a pass until the game's final eight minutes. They certainly had their share of first-half ground success with quarterback Charvis Nash (27 for 196 and one TD) and tailback Jameon Owens (14 for 125 and one TD). But even Dravanti Johnson, Ron Mohica, and company contained the running game better after halftime. C.E. King rushed for 263 first-half yards but finished the game at 340.

  Meanwhile, Mosley, Gutierrez and the Alex Moshier-to-Clint Whitaker combo had taken their first-half turns at reaching paydirt. The overall display was a welcome sight for offensive coordinator Monte Barrow, who watched his unit's sharpest performance to date.

  "Without a doubt," Barrow said. "Our backs saw our line setting the tone and being physical. We made their secondary make the tackles."

  By halftime, Nederland had absorbed King's best shot... Nederland's trainer, that is... and even "Doc" was starting to feel better about it.