Missed Opportunities Fail ‘Dogs 20-10

            Nederland came out with guns blazing in front of a home crowd of 8,000 at Bulldog Stadium.  On the opening drive, Moshier was a perfect 3 for 3; completing a 20-yard pass to Whitaker and two passes to Butler totaling 47 yards and the first touchdown on the night with a drive that lasted only two minutes. The play calling was excellent with a mixture of draws, slants and pump fake patterns, which looked very promising for the rest of the night. The defense came out and proved itself also after stopping the Mustangs on a 3 and out stand.  Once again Nederland’s offense stepped up and delivered great plays, which resulted in a 3^rd and 1 on the WO-S 6. It was then, however, when the Mustangs defensive front stiffened up causing Nederland to cough up the ball, giving it to WO-S at their own 5. The momentum swung across the field in one play as the Dogs’ seemed unable to recover completely from then on. A holding penalty later in the half prevented Nederland from obtaining a 14-0 lead. Instead, Whitaker nailed a 34- yard field goal with only seconds remaining in the first quarter.

            It was all Kenneth Beasley from then on. The Mustangs were able to score on a 10-yard pass from Beasley to Jarrod Lewis with a little over a minute to remain in the half. It’s all in the eyes of the beholder whether or not Hooks’ romp (who was on the field 13 times on the night) with the officials at mid-field heading into the locker room had anything to do with the officiating in the second half.  Nederland was unable to recover from the missed opportunities and several very questionable calls in the second half, including an ejection, which seemed irrational to everyone. The game cannot be blamed on the officiating, however, but it was certainly evident that not only Hooks, but also his entire coaching staff was in the ears of the officials all night, which was expected.

            The Bulldogs had too many chances in this game to end it early, but instead were unable to convert in crucial moments. I spoke with Hooks following the conclusion of the game and he said the advantage they had was their conditioning. He felt that the Mustangs had a little bit more gas in the tank in the fourth quarter, especially the defense. “Our defense was the difference in the football game in the second half,” says Hooks. Coach Neumann stated that Nederland’s approach stays the same whether we win or lose. “We had some missed opportunities in the first half that we couldn’t cash in on. We’ll evaluate our performance and prepare next week accordingly,” says Neumann.

            An early season loss is a great preparation tool for the future. On a night when the ‘Dogs faced perhaps the best team in 3A, a lot can be learned. We can all be rest assured that Nederland will be ready for the Bruins next week, as the Mustangs prepare for the Bay City Blackcats. Nederland will no doubt have to work on play calling and elimination of penalties; a double kryptonite that stifled Nederland’s performance against the Mustangs.

-Brandon Corley