KFDM COOP Posted October 30, 2008 Report Posted October 30, 2008 No trick: Bobcats, Cardinals want treat tonight Gabriel Pruett The Orange Leader ORANGEFIELD — A special Halloween night on the bayou tonight. The rival Orangefield Bobcats and Bridge City Cardinals will meet up at 7 p.m. at F.L. McClain Stadium for the 17th team in the two school’s histories. Bridge City holds a 10-6 lead all-time against Orangefield. The two squads started playing each year starting in 2000 as the Cardinals are 6-2 in those games. Orangefield was the victorious team a season ago when the Bobcats downed the Cardinals 60-35. Now the two teams meet up ago and are looking to start a winning streak to end the 2008 season. The Cardinals enter the contest 2-4 overall and 0-3 in the District 21-3A standings. The Bobcats are 1-5 on the season and 0-3 in the district loop. “I know I will not have to give a lot of pre-game speeches this week,†Orangefield Coach Blake Morrison said. “Both sets of kids are going to enjoy this game and remember it their whole lives. There is no doubt Bridge City is going to want redemption after last year just like anyone would. It is going to be a tough ball game.†While both coaches said the routines stay the same this week, the feeling around practice each day has been a little different than any other week. “It’s a big week,†Bridge City Coach Cris Stump said. “It really all started last Saturday morning when we threw out the West Orange tape and looked at Orangefield for the first time. I have not had to talk much this week. There has been a lot of spring in the kids’ step. I can stand there and tell them it is just another game but it is not.†The rivalry has taken on a new meaning this year after Hurricane Ike blew through Bridge City and left almost every home with some kind of flood damage. One of the first forms of assistance came from the Bobcats who came over to help their neighbors in a time of need. All the friendships will be pushed aside though for a few hours tonight. “I treat it like a rivalry,†Stump said. “At the start of the season, we made a big effort to not talk about last year. We don’t have to tell our guys what happened last year because they were there. Of course they are going to remember.†Last season was an offensive explosion between two teams which came into game winless on the season. There were 1,015 yards of total offense in 2007, 528 from Orangefield and 487 from Bridge City. The Bobcats are gearing up to stop the spread offense the Cardinals suit up each Friday. The Cardinals are averaging 266.7 yards a game this season and are led by the quarterback-running back duo of Josh Lemoine and Matt Menard. Menard, a freshman, has 276 yards on 49 carries and one touchdown while Lemoine, a junior, has 180 yards rushing and 812 yards passing with 10 total touchdowns. “Even with Joe (Robertson) out, the Menard kid is something special,†Morrison said. “They will be clicking on all cylinders. Coach Stump does a good job with that spread so we are going to have to be sure to line up, get to the football and play with great effort.†The Cardinals will be seeing a different style of offense for the first time in at least three weeks. Bridge City had Silsbee and West Orange-Stark in back-to-back weeks and faced similar spread offenses. Now the Bobcats bring in a grind out style featuring several different running backs. Senior Zach Peevey leads the bunch with 355 yards and two scores while Chase Parker has 232 yards and three scores and Steven Stone has 148 yards and four touchdowns. Junior quarterback Jace Statum has rushed for 146 yards and passed for another 379 with a total of two touchdowns. “Orangefield is hard-nosed, physical and they get after it,†Stump said. “It is going to be a lot different than what we have seen over the last two weeks. Our defense is going to have to switch gears. It is going to be a big challenge.†So now each coach hopes the teams can focus on executing the entire game and not getting suckered into any tricks. “It is going to be a crazy night,†Stump said. “The stands will be filled and there is no telling what you will see, on and off the field.†Morrison just wants to make sure his team leaves it all on the field. “It don’t matter when we play each other or what day it is — we want to come out and be sure we walk off the field with no regrets,†Morrison said. “It’s a big ball game and both communities really get up for this one.â€
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