MikeEast

I think Central is due, and I am not convinced that Dayton is really that good just yet. Not saying that it will be an easy win for Central, just saying that I think Central is just as likely to come out with the W as Dayton is.

I got dizzy this morning trying to lay out all the possibilites IF the top 4 teams win the games they should win. There are just too many if's and nothing is certain. There are 5 very good teams in this district and NO ONE is a lock in the playoffs just yet. Any one of them is very capable of beating the other. The teams that play with the most intensity and the least mistakes will be in the playoffs. PNG, Lumberton, Dayton and Nederland will all control their won destiny this year. I think its going to be cut a dried on w/l records when the smoke clears.

I am going to pick Central 35-28. If I am wrong I am wrong, but that would be my guess. I think Central is better than their record and they are due for a win. I still am not convinced that Dayton has what they have had the last couple of years. This week will tell a lot about Dayton.

I stay on ALL threads 22-4A But OH you know how that kills me when you SAY that!! Thats about like me saying that PNG envys our success over the last 10 years and wishes they were us, when I know for a fact that you guys would rather LOSE every game until the end of time in purple and white than go eternally undefeated in Black and Gold.... and the feeling is quite mutual eh? ;D

lol, that would have to be Big Ned. I am SO sick of the term "bend but dont break". I seriosuly think Nederland could take lessons from Lumbertons style of defense.

That was sort of my point. I think the total yards were probably pretty close. Lumbertons passing game was extremely efficient and effective. When they ran the ball they ran it very well but the passing game was working so well they sortof abandoned it. You gotta go with what is working and although I think the running game was working well ( they averaged ovr 3ypc) they were grabbing yards in chunks passing the ball.

UH, reality check please. No disrespect to PNG I think they have a great history and they are our friends. But I can tell you for sure neither WOS nor Nederland envy anything PNG. They are a good team and they have good support. I dont envy their pride or tradition. We have our own and we earned it without any help from PNG or anyone else except Coach Neumanns exquisite leadership skills, thank you very much. I would not trade the last decade of Bulldog football with PNG for anything. No way, no how. And I could care less what happened in 1975. Not sour grapes, just the way it is.

Not meaning this to be disrespectful, you need to re check your math. According to your rationale PNG and Central can both get in with 2 losses, but Nederland, Lumberton and Dayton can only afford 1 loss total to get in? Bottom line is that Central is in serious trouble and is going to need to win out and need some unlikely things to happen to have any hope whatsoever of getting in. The rest is wide open to PNG, Nederland, Lumberton and Dayton. Too many if's and no one that is unbeatable including PNG. At this point every one of those teams still has total control of its own destiny.

It takes a really special team to be a state champion or to even get to the game. I think that there are several teams in the area that have the potential to get there, but they are going to have to start improving dramatically to get there. You have to be perfect and frankly a little lucky to do it. We got very close in 98, 2000 and about 01 or 02, the closest being the latter. PNG was there in 99. Those teams were far better than any team I have seen play this year in all of those years and yet when we met Bay City and Smithson Valley we were humbled by what "real" state championship quality football looks like. I would love to see a SC come out of 22-4A but for those of you that are thinking you got it, think again. You need to raise the bar, and then double that and you might be close to what you need to be. One of our teams might get there but we all got a LOOOOOOONG way to go to be good enough to get out of R3, much less get to "the game". Ask WOS, they will tell you.

I know that guy!!! That is one handsome fella ;D

I agree 100% on that part of you PNG/Lumberton assessment. In my opinion stopping runs to the outside is and has always been our defenses most significant weakness. Lumberton made stopping PNG's attempts to the outside seem a lot easier. I really dont think its speed, I think its tactical planning and where the defense is at. I caught the last quarter and a half of the Nederland/Ozen game last night and the defense looked a lot stingier against a very fast offense. Maybe they have figured soemthing out.

I understand. You know, I dont disagree with that at all. Both teams were moving the ball on the ground so well, I really thought it was pointless to throw. Especially when Lumberton got behind, I thought they were panic'ing by trying to throw. But that assumption was incorrect. They have a very well structured passing game that is simple, safe and very effective. After seeing the way they called plays in the 3rd quarter I am surprised they did not throw more, but who needs to when you have a good running game like Lumberton does. Man, both teams were really good and again I just cannot get over the similarities, they looked SO much alike!

Lumbertons secondary was in position and TOOK the interception. It was looking like it could have gone 21 points had the chips fallen but they did not. You have to give them credit. Both teams had to earn everything that they got.

PNG did not dominate the game. The game was dominated by 3 outstanding running backs and 2 excellent offensive lines. Both teams moved the ball equally effectively. I have not seen the stats but I am betting that they are really close. There was a brief moment where PNG pulled away by 2 scores but Lumberton came roaring back and pounded PNG back into their end zone for another 6. Lumbertons offense was versatile and quick to strike. The play calling was exquisite and the Lumberton coaches never made a mistake. Hats off to both teams. It was one of the best games I have seen in years.

On that note, I felt very proud when I saw #6 (Doty?) from PNG see that #6 from Lumberton was severly wobbling around on the field after that play and went over and caught him and helped him to stay on his feet. Its good to see that these kids can see the perspective and what is really important. Very cool!

That is a totally incorrect statement. I was at the game and I am a neutral observer. This game could have gone either way. I predicted the exact score ;D and said it could flip flop very easily. It was nothing but a semi educated guess, but I was shocked at how right I was. PNG and Lumberton look almost EXACTLY alike in every way. If they had switched uniforms at halftime and come back out posing as one another no one would have been able to tell. Thats how similar they look, they really do. I will say that PNG is not quite as hard hitting as Lumberton, their run defense is super agressive and effiecient but they are vulnerable to the pass. What a fun game to watch, and it ended early enough that I made most of the 2nd half of the NEderland/Ozen game!!! ;D

oh yes..... I did make this game and to me the Indians and the Raiders looked like carbon copies of one another. Same type of play calling by situation, same type of skill players and same type of defense in general. I will say this, Lumberton was the most physical defense I have seen in a while. They were really putting the hits on PNG. I was impressed by the fact that they got down by two scores and never quit. They played the game like they intended to win it the entire 48 minutes despite the score. The coaches never seemed to get rattled and they stuck with their game plan when they got behind. I am really pleased that I made the game. I did see opportunity for the Dogs offense to matchup well against the Raiders as the pass defense was a little leaky and they struggled to stop PNGs basic passing attack. T This district could easily come down to 4 teams with 1 loss a piece if the chips fall. Its going to be a photo finish!!!

;D ;D ;D

The new scoreboard and sound system at Nederland is in a totally different class. There is nothing that even comes close within 80 miles. LCM has a good sound system and a nice scoreboard too, I would say they are heads above the rest as well. Silsbee is pretty decent too. The worst ones are the ones you cannot hear. I think that the Lumberton, Central and WB systems need some work. Seems like Vidor is pretty bad from the visitors side too. I have not been to any of the small schools recently.

You know me too well,,, it wont take much convincing to "woo" me back over to Lamar Stadium. If I do whimp out and end up in Bmt I will give you a call. Maybe we can hookup and watch the game.

I would think Lumberton would be 5A in 10 years or so. I think its one of the fastest growing communities in the State, same thing with the Mont Belvieu Barbers Hill area. I know that Mid County is flocking to Lumberton to get,,, further North. I might not be far behind them. 8)

I know, I know. ;D I just think this is going to be a great match up and a game worth seeing in person. 8)

All I have said? LOL, you must have the wrong guy and are getting just a little too carried away. I have not "said" anything bad about Lumberton or its players or its citizens whatsoever. I wll pretend that was not a threat and that you are just joking, but if you are going to start talking that kind of crap go back and read my posts about Lumberton first. I have said nothing but good things about Lumbertons football team athough I do think that there are several fans that are talking an inordinate amount of trash here on this forum that are making the thought of a Lumberton loss sound very appealing, but I understand that you are fired up and eager so other than in the name of fun it really does not bother me and I say have fun. I would be very careful threatening me or anyone else on here. I am not a moderator, but I know the owner of the site pretty well and I am pretty sure that they will not tolerate any sort of personal threats whatsoever. I am the nicest guy you would ever want to meet in person and get along with everyone, but I dont take very well to feeling threatened. Its one thing to trash talk, its a whole other level when you threaten me if I come and sit in your stands. I thing you need to put the game back into perspective. If you want to come and enjoy the game with me tonite if I sit on the Lumberton side feel free, that would be a hoot and probably make the game a lot of fun to watch. I will be easy to find. I am almost 100% sure I will be the only Bulldog sitting in the stadium tonight if I decide to go.

I have to tell you the truth. I know exactly what that slow, soft distant sound of NDN war drums sounds like and although absolutely disgusting sounding to me,, the sound of it always give me chills. I hate the sound of it!!! With Lumberton coming to the Reservation and finally, for the forst time sitting with a good reason to expect to make the playoffs, I think that Cherokee is going to take on a new meaning for Lumberton tonight. Its an awesome song to hear as a football fan, but when you are on the opposite side of the field and everytime you hear it you know that another nail has been driven into your coffin of playoff hopes gone by, its the most horrible sound in the world. :'(

I really did not think he was totally out of line in the Hemmings Ned/PNG article. The way it read to me was like he was offering his appreciation for Burnett and Hemmings genuine nice qualities, but just saying that they were gonna get or needed to get mean against Nederland. The whole think seemed more "fun" than serious and a little tongue in cheek playing on the word "like". The last little paragraph seemed to be slanted in Nederlands favor in a way that would have aggrevated me as a PNG fan, but overall it seemed to be implying that Hemmings is a monster running back and not nice at all on the football field... BTW, I was at that pep rally a decade ago and we did boo him for his apparent lack of respect for Nederland. At the time we were about at the place in our history that Lumberton currently resides. That is very possibly the next playoff sweetheart that has really yet to earn their wings in the eyes of the media and those in the know on the SE Texas high school football. There is no doubt that whether he intends to or not, Toms writing can come off as sounding biased and borderline ignorant a lot of times. However, I really think that he has good intentions and always has.