BAYTOWN – West Orange-Stark hangs the blue and silver moon when it comes to recent backyard state titles. West Brook has its one of a kind first-year 1982 honor. Bridge City is a state champ of special acclaim.

  Then there’s down in Mid-County where Port Neches-Groves reached at least the state semifinals on a remarkable 1970s stretch…. But nobody in the Golden Triangle can duplicate 10 straight 4A bidistrict championships as the current Nederland Bulldogs can. No they can’t, whether they’re blue and silver, purple and white, maroon and gold. They can’t.

  There may have been a certain mediocre shade of black and gold to these 2006 Bulldogs defenders before Saturday night. Yet when 7,000 onlookers filled Stallworth Stadium for this 4A Division I bidistrict affair, Nederland more than showed up on defense.

  Perhaps the Bulldogs caught an earful after last week’s defensive outing against Lumberton, but these Nederland gave every indication that they would tackle any white-shirted Galena Park ball-carrier to visit their neighborhood. The Yellow Jackets ran for a mere 43 yards on 34 tries, including one second-half first down on a fluke play, and the Bulldogs convincingly won a 48-7 verdict that never got real close.

  There will be a slight difference next Saturday night when Nederland (6-5) will return here to Stallworth Stadium for the 4A Division I regional round against Rosenberg Lamar Consolidated (11-0). Ranked as high as No. 2 in the state by texasprepxtra.com, the Mustangs defeated Friendswood 44-22 on Saturday evening in Pearland. 

  Officials from the schools will meet here this morning to complete final arrangements, such as designation of home team, ticket prices, assignment of officials. But Nederland and Lamar Consolidated will play next Saturday in Stallworth Stadium at 6 p.m.

  If this record-setting 10th consecutive bidistrict crown meant a great deal to Larry Neumann, the Bulldogs’ 14th-year head coach gave the impression to the media that it meant more to his players than his coaching staff.

  “We didn’t talk about it any but the kids were talking about it,” Neumann admitted. “The kids talked about not wanting to be the team that didn’t let that string be broken. We as coaches didn’t make that much of it.”

  They didn’t have to make much of it because Nederland’s players performed every phase of the game with a purpose. The Bulldogs head coach commended them for carrying out their efforts at that level.

  “This was as bonafide a championship effort as any I’ve ever seen at Nederland and these guys played like champions,” Neumann said. “These guys did a great job of facing adversity and being at their best. We played tonight like we practiced all week.”

  Galena Park finished 8-3 and Yellow Jackets first-year head coach Ray Zepeda tipped his cap to the domineering display of Nederland football which he watched for 48 minutes.

  “We obviously want to get to where they are,” Zepeda said. “Nederland physically whipped us. Our program will learn some from this but there’s no question that Nederland deserved to win and to be the bidistrict champions.”

  Nederland owned the upper hand in most every way… just as the Bulldogs fans totally had Galena Park’s supporters heavily outnumbered in the stands. Nederland heavily carried the stat sheets – 28:30 to 19:30 in possession time, 22-7 in first downs, 368-67 in total yards, much the way the friendly 48-7 scoreboard appeared.

  When it ended, the Bulldogs definitely raised the level of their defense and kicking game – two primary Neumann objectives all week. But just as it has in recent times, Nederland’s offensive line set the tone and Micah Mosley gave another Micah Mosley display, rushing 26 times for 164 yards and five touchdowns. Those numbers fattened the District 22-4A season rushing and scoring champion’s 2006 totals to 2,174 yards and 184 points.

  Nederland’s offensive linemen were sharp and solid in coming off the ball efficiently. They base-blocked and zone-blocked with the precision of veterans and to the delight of their veteran superior instructor, the big dog David Crommett.