NEDERLAND - Claude Whitaker is living proof that 17-year-old sons still love their fathers. They even listen to them, too.

For Clint Whitaker, football has been important but it's taken its place of lesser importance than dad's health.

The father of Nederland's versatile senior football star underwent lung surgery on Monday prior to Nederland's season opener at Texas City. The older Whitaker's surgery at Beaumont's St. Elizabeth Hospital was successful... so successful in terms of importance that Clint was absent from football practice that day.

Yet football season carries a special meaning for Clint's father, too. An avid member of the Bulldogs booster club, Claude Whitaker has paid an occasional visit even to watch Nederland football practices at Prather Field. He has no time to stay down about having to undergo lung surgery. After all, this is Clint's senior football season... and those times in a dad's life only come around once.

"Football season has helped him to get well," Nederland head football coach Larry Neumann said of Claude Whitaker.

Don't be surprised if Whitaker tries to score a few points this Friday night at Bulldog Stadium for his not-so-old man. He might even point to him. He certainly pointed to dad on Tuesday as a primary reason for cultivating his interest in sports.

"Me and my dad always have been close," the younger Whitaker said. "I guess you could say he's been a best-friend-type-of-dad to me. He got me into football back in junior high. He likes football and pretty much all sports.

"It was scary for me because they had to cut him open and take a lobe out of his lung. The main thing was that I wanted to be there (at the hospital) with my dad and make sure that he would be OK."

That's the kind of maturity and leadership which Clint shows for Nederland's football program, too. He wants to make sure it's OK whether he has to play cornerback, tailback, wide receiver or whatever his coaching staff wishes.

Maturity has helped to develop Whitaker into becoming that kind of leader. The Bulldogs boss has not always observed such a work ethic from Clint.... let's hear exactly how Nederland's coach said it.

"Clint is multi-talented and he shows a great work ethic," Neumann said. "To be honest with you, Clint's been less than that at times, but not in his senior year."

Calm and collected, Whitaker agreed with the opinion offered a few minutes earlier by his head coach.

"I think since my senior year's started, I have stepped up my work ethic," he said. "I knew I had to step up. Every day I've worked out as if practice were a game situation."

With his receiver/corner duel roles, Whitaker became a major factor in Nederland's sharp season-opening win at Texas City. Of course, that win came only four days after dad's lung surgery. So it carried a special meaning for Clint.

When the Bulldogs found themselves trailing 21-7 at halftime last week, the NHS coaches decided to switch Whitaker from wide receiver to tailback. The sudden switch hardly dismayed Clint a bit. In fact, it motivated him to step it up once again.

"I was a little nervous and excited about going there (to tailback)," Whitaker said. "(Receivers) Coach (Bryan) Spell was the first one who notified me of the position change. (Running backs coach Steven) Beagle and (head coach Larry) Neumann told me why.

"I like playing tailback because it gives you more chance to do things with the ball."

If Whitaker has to shoulder a heavy workload, he's fine with it. He's ready to assume as big of a role as necessary. Clint will be quite happy if his dad will be able to see all of it, too.

BULLDOG BITES

NHS coaches still were awaiting results from a Tuesday afternoon MRI on Super Team defensive lineman Ron Mohica, who did not suit out last Friday night because of a shoulder injury. Another Bulldogs defensive lineman, end Colby Miller, will be re-evaluated today (dislocated knee) and will be doubtful to participate this week. Meanwhile, two pre-season injuries casualties - tailback Micah Mosley and outside linebacker Jace Stukey - returned to practice on Monday and were listed as starters for Friday's game against Friendswood. No new injuries resulted from the West Brook.... DE Eric Rodriguez has missed this week's early work due to food poisoning.... Dogs likely will go back to their lineup of the first two weeks. Numerous position changes were tried at West Brook but most of them were reviewed as unsuccessful switches.... A Langham elementary school pep rally is set for Thursday at 2:45 p.m., with the NHS rally in the Dogdome at the same time on Friday.... Dravannti Johnson led the tackle chart vs. WB with eight stops (4 solos and 4 assists), followed by CB Garrett Butler (5 and 2) and Jarvis Benton (3 and 4) with seven apiece.