KFDM COOP Posted October 22, 2008 Report Posted October 22, 2008 Lovelady boosts ‘Dogs defense By Tom Halliburton The Port Arthur News NEDERLAND -- Football can be a thinking man's game at some positions, but Grant Lovelady would do better to leave his thinking cap in Nederland's locker room. That must mean: Ignorance is bliss? Not necessarily... it's just that the mind can slow down the body from instinctively reacting. That's what used to limit Lovelady's inside linebacker performances for the Bulldogs. He was a very thoughtful kind of guy behind his tackle Marcus Louvier. A little thought, and a lot more action has Lovelady playing as well as any member of Nederland's defense in the past two weeks. The 17-year-old son of Victor and Maureen Lovelady sustained a neck strain in a pre-season practice. When the Bulldogs opened the regular season, as well as the 20-4A district season, Lovelady did not look as if he planned on being a major leader in coordinator Delbert Spell's defensive unit. Wait a minute, though ... when the Port Neches-Groves Indians visited Bulldog Stadium, a different type of Lovelady embarked upon a completely new approach. "It wasn't my injury, though," Lovelady said. "I was just too tentative. I stopped thinking as much and I let my instincts take over. I didn't do that very much at Ozen but it was at the Port Neches game that I started to get a whole lot better. I was still kinda thinking and using my head too much vs. Ozen." Matt Burnett and his Indians wished Lovelady had continued to think more for at least just one more night. Nothing at all against PN-G, it's just that repetition finally kicked in for Grant. That's the simple explanation for Lovelady's October improvement -- enough repetition removed Lovelady's tentative ways. Lovelady made those remarks several minutes after his head coach attempted to analyze his junior linebacker's recent progress chart. "You can see Grant getting better right now play after play," Nederland boss Larry Neumann said. "In the last couple of games, it's becoming instinctive. He's a team guy. He's much improved." Lovelady served as just one more reason why Nederland needed those non-district games against teams such as Waller and Friendswood. PN-G needed a tough trip to Texas City just like that.... Repetitions and mistakes enable players to identify and correct shortcomings and limitations, enabling a player to become the best he can be. Even if Nederland did not defeat Beaumont Central... even if Beaumont Central blindsided Nederland last Friday by bringing its full-house Wishbone backfield, Lovelady coped beautifully with a tough situation. Neumann and Spell noticed Nederland competed effectively with the Wishbone scheme under the circumstances. The Bulldogs primarily prepared last week for Central to line up with two wide receivers and two wings or slot backs, because that had been Central's most frequently utilitzed offense. They worked a bit on the full-house backfield but very little. Central's Wishbone roared to an early touchdown drive. Delbert and his defense immediately altered its ideas. Lovelady paid tribute to his outstanding defensive coordinator for adjusting the Dogs' defense. "Once they did that, we had to make a defensive adjustment," Lovelady recalled. "We went to a defense that we hadn't practiced with all week. And we did allright, but we didn't get the job done." That may be a tad harsh but the Nederland linebacker can assure everyone that his team must step up its performance on Friday night at Bulldog Stadium. Two of the four 20-4A co-leaders -- Nederland (3-2 and 3-1) and Livingston (3-2 and 3-1) -- collide on Nederland's homecoming night at 7:30 p.m. "Livingston is good," he said. "We have watched video and they run the football better than Central. If we can control the football offensively, we'll be allright. I think we made a good in-game adjustment last week but this definitely is a must-win in order for us to control our destiny. We need to win. "I think there's more of a sense of urgency than this past week." Lovelady knows there needs to be. Bulldog Bites: Lovelady also led the grade book at Central with an 83, followed by Brent Salenga (82), Asa Cardenas and Stefan Huber (80 each).... Head coach Larry Neumann informed The News early on Wednesday that Cardenas announced a verbal commitment to accept a football scholarship to attend Lamar University....The annual pots and pans parade in front of Central middle school and the homecoming bonfire in Bulldog Stadium's parking lot kicked off the homecoming week festivities on Tuesday night.... A pep rally opens Friday's agenda at 8:20 a.m. The homecoming parade rolls down Boston Avenue and Nederland Avenue on Friday at 4. A presentation of the homecoming court and the crowning of the queen will take place in pre-game ceremonies starting at 7 p.m. A homecoming dance will cap the schedule right after the game in the NHS cafeteria.... For more parade info, call 727-2741, ext. 2000.... A red ribbon parade is set for Thursday morning honoring Bulldogs players at 8:30 on the grounds of Helena Park elementary school.... Receiver Jude Vidrine was considered as probable for the Livingston game after he sustained bruised ribs, but DB Jimmy Swain has moved to offense to log minutes with Vidrine... Soph Trevon Sonnier will start at Swain's old right corner spot with Adrian Pina on the opposite side. Cardenas and Jake Kemp will start at the safety spots....
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