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Critical bout for Vidor, Dogs

By Tom Halliburton

The Port Arthur News

VIDOR -- Once upon a Reservation, a 1978 underdog Vidor stunned Port Neches-Groves 20-15 to propel the Pirates to an astonishing 22-AAAA football championship.

  Tonight's 30-year anniversary of former coach Phillip Brown's team lands on Homecoming 2008 and features arguably the biggest opportunity for Vidor gridiron glory since then.

  Nederland and its normal playoff inhabitants invade Pirate Stadium for a game that should lift the winner into the Class 4A Division I playoff bracket. All sorts of points and possible tiebreaker numbers prevent the occasion from being for an outright playoff spot, but Nederland-at-Vidor basically means a very probable post-season appearance.

  Vidor football knows nothing about any post-season since 1990 and Main Street figures to be jammed with cars by 6 p.m. This matchup is not unlike our region's biggest college duel of the week pitting Texas at Texas Tech. Lubbock has not braced itself for this big of a game ever. Vidor shares Texas Tech's electric feeling to some extent on a much smaller scale.

  "This is definitely a new atmosphere around here," Vidor senior strong safety Devin Dart said Thursday in bright sunshine while the Pirates offense completed its final dress rehearsal. "Everyone's definitely nervous but I think we can handle it. This is real big for all our seniors."

  While nothing mathemically is clinched in 20-4A, Lumberton and Livingston own the inside track on 4A Division II berths, while the Division I spots probably belong to Beaumont Central and the Nederland-at-Vidor winner. There's enough insanity around here each year for Vidor's homecoming which also is thrown into the festivities.

  It's even a bit of a statistic lover's paradise because the teams rank 1-2 in district total offense. Kirby Bellow, Jude Vidrine, Asa Cardenas, Ryan Brady, Wareall Grogan and blockers are fashioning a Bulldogs' average of 364.3 yards a game. Vidor's right behind at 345.4 but far ahead of anyone in rushing offense with 2,173 yards in seven outings.

  Vidor also looks worlds better on defensive numbers, permitting 243.3 yards a night (2nd in the league) to Nederland's much more generous 334.5-yard average (7th). Nederland provides a welcome equalizer with plus 3 in turnovers to Vidor's minus 1.

  Translation: neither represents a safe bet... it could go either way.

  "They feature a power running game," Bulldogs boss Larry Neumann said. "And we haven't done a very job of trying to defend that style of attack in the last two weeks."

  While Neumann frets in his office about containing Vidor's explosives, 10th-year Pirates director Jeff Mathews sounds a lot like Neumann. Vidor has fine defensive numbers to be sure. Bulldogs' offensive coordinator Monte Barrow simply offers Pirates' defensive whiz George Eskue a whole bunch more to defend than most district attacks. Nederland's ability to do so much definitely keeps Vidor from feeling very confident.

  "The thing that scares me is every team we have played has an offense that does one thing well," Mathews said. "When you load the line, Monte is going to hurt you with the pass. When you try to cover all their receivers, he's going to outnumber you and have Grogan run the ball. Nederland can beat you so many ways."

  While Vidor enters with the league's strongest rushing numbers, it ranks dead last in 20-4A passing offense with 245 yards. Divided by seven games, that's 35 yards a game. Therefore it might seem as if Vidor's ability to pass would appear irrelevant. Not so fast, analysts. Just read this bold statement from Vidor's head coach.

  "To win this game, we're going to have to be able to throw it," Mathews said as senior Chris Teinert tossed a pass during practice. "To think we can just line up and run against Delbert's defense, we'd be crazy."

  Mathews astutely identified with Nederland defensive wizard Delbert Spell's long-time penchant for prospering against one-dimensional offenses. Yet Livingston predominantly runs the ball. The Lions spoiled Nederland's homecoming 55-50 and inserted a strong dose of frustration into the Bulldogs' demeanor all week.

  "I sense our team is frustrated by their lack of reward for what they've done and prepared for," Neumann said. "I think that has motivated us this week in a positive way.

  "Vidor probably has the best pursuing defense we've played to date. All 11 go to the ball. They're good tacklers. They have an excellent linebacking corps and they will try to disrupt our pass protection."

  Eskue will gamble and stunt and make every effort to keep Nederland passer Kirby Bellow from feeling comfortable. Neumann also frets that his senior running threat Grogan offers Bellow enough of a security blanket against Vidor's defensive front.

  "It will be a challenge to be able to run the ball against Vidor," Neumann indicated. "It will take an outstanding effort."

  On homecoming night with so much at stake, Vidor's fanatical mindset would not take Larry the least bit by surprise.

NEDERLAND AT VIDOR

• When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.

• Where: Pirate Stadium, Vidor

• Records: Nederland 3-3, 3-2; Vidor 5-2, 3-2

• Series: Nederland leads 50-8-1

• Last meeting: Nederland, 28-7

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