Whoa what an ugly game in round 2 of the playoffs for the Bulldogs. La Porte's season ended in the worst possible way on Saturday night in Galena Park, a 16-0 loss to Clear Creek. Things did not go the Bulldogs way at all.
The defense held up their end of the bargain shutting down all-area Clear Creek RB CJ McElroy (22 carries for 83 yards) and holding him under 4 yards per carry. The only real threat the Creek offense showed was through the air and on the fumbled pitch that bounced straight up into McElroy's hands in the 3rd quarter for a nice touchdown run. The D shut down the Wildcats high powered offense, which was exactly what the Bulldogs needed for victory.
The personal fouls at the end of the game were embarrassing and dampened the performance by the defense as a whole. Resorting to cheap and dirty play when you're down will never be a way to earn respect locally or state-wide in the future.
The Bulldogs out-gained the Wildcats in total yardage 288-203. However nobody was in sync on offense, with at least 10 false starts and 8 fumbles, 4 of which were recovered by Creek.
La Porte did not have many opportunities with the fumbling and penalties. With the Bulldogs down 3-0 and time running down in the first half (25 seconds left), La Porte decided to try for the field goal on 3rd down and I believe that mistake bit them as they finally had the Clear Creek defense on their heels and should have taken a shot at the end-zone instead of a rushed field goal attempt. The first half was not a good one for the offense and I did not think it could get any worse, but it got much worse.
In the second half the attitudes of the Bulldogs players were visibly bad watching from the stands. It didn't help that every other offensive snap was either a offside penalty or a fumble. On the first possession of the second half Senior QB Jeremy McNeal (109 yds passing, 107 yds rushing), who did put up a gutsy performance, was fighting for extra yards and the ball popped straight into a Wildcat defender's hands and he walked into the end zone. Any air that was left in the La Porte balloon was let out right there. The Bulldogs never had another good opportunity and frankly didn't show a lot of urgency in the fourth quarter down two scores. La Porte is not a good team when playing from behind, especially by two scores. Senior RB Anthony Webb had only 17 carries for 71 yards on the night. Clear Creek's defense was very scrappy and quick and made life very tough on the whole Bulldog offense.
La Porte has a very promising future with many underclassmen getting extensive playing time this season. It will be very interesting to see which way the offense goes in the off-season to replace McNeal and Webb. The defense will be a strength again next season, so I believe La Porte will still be a run first team. I will have a full season recap and a preview for next season in the coming days.
Overall I had a great time following the team this season and great things were there for the taking with the weak bracket La Porte was in. The players must learn from this experience and have more confidence and composure when things are going wrong on the field. An ugly loss like this takes away from how good this team really was this season. I believe this was the best La Porte team I've ever seen, but my experience only goes back to '98.
If anybody has any thoughts on the game or season as a whole, please share them.
La Porte Bulldog Football Blog
Monday, November 22, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
Playoffs! Round 2 La Porte vs Clear Creek
This Saturday at Galena Park ISD stadium at 7pm the La Porte Bulldogs will face the Clear Creek Wildcats in the area round of the 5A Division 2 Playoffs!
La Porte will be taking a step up in competition this week when they take on Clear Creek from offensive powerhouse district 24-5A. The Wildcats defeated Fort Bend Travis 37-34 in round 1. The Bulldogs took out South Houston 42-7. Clear Creek comes in averaging 35 points per game on offense while giving up 21 a game on defense. La Porte comes in averaging 32 points per game while only giving up 12 per game so far this season.
Both teams played Deer Park this season with the Bulldogs going down 21-19 and Clear Creek taking care of the Deer 40-7.
The Bulldogs and Wildcats both feature a University of Houston commitment at running back. La Porte's Anthony Webb and Clear Creek's C.J. McElroy feature almost identical stats in leading their teams throughout the 2010 season and will be roaming the UH practice fields next summer in the same backfield.
The past doesn't matter this week as it's win or go home for both teams.
La Porte is at full strength on offense this week as Senior QB Jeremy McNeal didn't show any ill effects from his week 10 injury in his limited action against South Houston, throwing and rushing for a touchdown. On the season he has thrown for thrown for 1000 yards and run for over 600 with 19 total touchdowns. His ability to mix the run and pass could be the difference the La Porte offense needs against the Wildcats. Webb comes into the game on a roll in recent games and he ran for 120 yards in the first half against South Houston and was able to rest in the second half. On the season the future Cougar has 1450yards and 20 touchdowns. The offensive line features a bunch of hosses, one of the biggest o-lines in the Houston area, and are responsible for opening the holes for the Bulldog rushing attack. They impressively wore down a good Beaumont West Brook front 7 in week 10 of the season. La Porte has a cast of many different receivers and Senior Karl Terrebone leads the way with 22 receptions on the season. The short passing attack takes some of the pressure off the running game. La Porte will need to keep the Wildcats Defense off balance with a good mix of outside and inside running. McNeal can make opposing defenses pay that over pursue and key on Webb.
The Clear Creek defense has been categorized as a small and scrappy bunch. They have a undersized defensive line that is very quick off the ball. Their defense will be tasked with stopping the multi-faceted Bulldog rushing attack and will have their hands full this week. They will need to get some stops and force some turnovers for the win this week.
Clear Creek features a offense heavy on running the ball. McElroy leads the team and is a very productive runner with 1349 yards and 22 touchdowns on the season. He is also a threat catching the ball out of the backfield with 15 catches for 220 yards and 3 tds. Junior RB Colby Davis is no slouch himself as he has ran for 800 yards and 9 touchdowns. The two headed wildcat at running back has been tough to stop this season for opposing defenses. Senior QB Chris Collins has thrown for 1000 yards and 10tds on 53% passing. He is not a huge threat through the air, but provides just enough threat to ensure the opposing team stays out of their comfort zone. Leading receiver Senior Tevin Jones has 28 catches for 474 yards and 4 touchdowns and is a dangerous threat with 17 yards per reception. Overall the Wildcats offense has carried them on the season and they will need a big game against La Porte's smash-mouth defense.
Speaking of, the Bulldogs defense comes into this week on a nice roll after facing two consecutive passing teams. La Porte's strength could be the downfall this week for the Clear Creek offense as the Bulldog defense is very good against the run. They have not allowed a 100 yard rusher on the season and will try to contain McElroy and Davis out of the backfield this week. The La Porte front 7 lead by Junior Linebacker Chad Sutherland has been great this season and dominated games. Sutherland has a knack for being in the backfield hitting ball carriers and will need to have a big game this week for La Porte to advance. The rest of the linebackers are very fast and the Bulldogs mix up their blitz packages to confuse the offense pre-snap. La Porte has been very good in the secondary with Senior Cornerbacks John Wesby and Ben Flores as well and should be fine in man to man coverage against the Wildcats. This will free up the front 7 to pursue the ball carrier and focus on the run. Other standouts on the Bulldog's defense include Sophomore Safety/Running Back Keith Whitely and Junior Safety/Wide Receiver Aaron Nance-Garrett who is a punishing hitter.
The keys to advancing to round 3 for La Porte:
- Stop McElroy - While stopping him will be a tough task, the Bulldog defense is capable of doing it. If the defense holds him under 125 yards they will be in great shape.
-Attack Clear Creek from all angles and score early points- La Porte plays great with a lead because they can really grind the clock.
-Win the turnover battle- La Porte has slowed down their turnover production in the last few weeks and are due for a big turnover game.
-Limit the penalties - The Bulldogs have improved greatly in this area and must stay focused this week.
Something has to give this week with a great running offense against a great defense.
The winner takes on the winner of Cypress Woods against Katy Taylor playing at the same time Saturday at Tully Stadium.
The game will be broadcast online at http://www.legacysportsnetwork.com/ starting at 6:45 Saturday.
I will be live on Twitter, you can follow along with me at http://twitter.com/#!/LPBulldogBlog or follow @LPBulldogBlog
Come on out to Galena Park and lets get loud this week to fire up this football team!
La Porte will be taking a step up in competition this week when they take on Clear Creek from offensive powerhouse district 24-5A. The Wildcats defeated Fort Bend Travis 37-34 in round 1. The Bulldogs took out South Houston 42-7. Clear Creek comes in averaging 35 points per game on offense while giving up 21 a game on defense. La Porte comes in averaging 32 points per game while only giving up 12 per game so far this season.
Both teams played Deer Park this season with the Bulldogs going down 21-19 and Clear Creek taking care of the Deer 40-7.
The Bulldogs and Wildcats both feature a University of Houston commitment at running back. La Porte's Anthony Webb and Clear Creek's C.J. McElroy feature almost identical stats in leading their teams throughout the 2010 season and will be roaming the UH practice fields next summer in the same backfield.
The past doesn't matter this week as it's win or go home for both teams.
La Porte is at full strength on offense this week as Senior QB Jeremy McNeal didn't show any ill effects from his week 10 injury in his limited action against South Houston, throwing and rushing for a touchdown. On the season he has thrown for thrown for 1000 yards and run for over 600 with 19 total touchdowns. His ability to mix the run and pass could be the difference the La Porte offense needs against the Wildcats. Webb comes into the game on a roll in recent games and he ran for 120 yards in the first half against South Houston and was able to rest in the second half. On the season the future Cougar has 1450yards and 20 touchdowns. The offensive line features a bunch of hosses, one of the biggest o-lines in the Houston area, and are responsible for opening the holes for the Bulldog rushing attack. They impressively wore down a good Beaumont West Brook front 7 in week 10 of the season. La Porte has a cast of many different receivers and Senior Karl Terrebone leads the way with 22 receptions on the season. The short passing attack takes some of the pressure off the running game. La Porte will need to keep the Wildcats Defense off balance with a good mix of outside and inside running. McNeal can make opposing defenses pay that over pursue and key on Webb.
The Clear Creek defense has been categorized as a small and scrappy bunch. They have a undersized defensive line that is very quick off the ball. Their defense will be tasked with stopping the multi-faceted Bulldog rushing attack and will have their hands full this week. They will need to get some stops and force some turnovers for the win this week.
Clear Creek features a offense heavy on running the ball. McElroy leads the team and is a very productive runner with 1349 yards and 22 touchdowns on the season. He is also a threat catching the ball out of the backfield with 15 catches for 220 yards and 3 tds. Junior RB Colby Davis is no slouch himself as he has ran for 800 yards and 9 touchdowns. The two headed wildcat at running back has been tough to stop this season for opposing defenses. Senior QB Chris Collins has thrown for 1000 yards and 10tds on 53% passing. He is not a huge threat through the air, but provides just enough threat to ensure the opposing team stays out of their comfort zone. Leading receiver Senior Tevin Jones has 28 catches for 474 yards and 4 touchdowns and is a dangerous threat with 17 yards per reception. Overall the Wildcats offense has carried them on the season and they will need a big game against La Porte's smash-mouth defense.
Speaking of, the Bulldogs defense comes into this week on a nice roll after facing two consecutive passing teams. La Porte's strength could be the downfall this week for the Clear Creek offense as the Bulldog defense is very good against the run. They have not allowed a 100 yard rusher on the season and will try to contain McElroy and Davis out of the backfield this week. The La Porte front 7 lead by Junior Linebacker Chad Sutherland has been great this season and dominated games. Sutherland has a knack for being in the backfield hitting ball carriers and will need to have a big game this week for La Porte to advance. The rest of the linebackers are very fast and the Bulldogs mix up their blitz packages to confuse the offense pre-snap. La Porte has been very good in the secondary with Senior Cornerbacks John Wesby and Ben Flores as well and should be fine in man to man coverage against the Wildcats. This will free up the front 7 to pursue the ball carrier and focus on the run. Other standouts on the Bulldog's defense include Sophomore Safety/Running Back Keith Whitely and Junior Safety/Wide Receiver Aaron Nance-Garrett who is a punishing hitter.
The keys to advancing to round 3 for La Porte:
- Stop McElroy - While stopping him will be a tough task, the Bulldog defense is capable of doing it. If the defense holds him under 125 yards they will be in great shape.
-Attack Clear Creek from all angles and score early points- La Porte plays great with a lead because they can really grind the clock.
-Win the turnover battle- La Porte has slowed down their turnover production in the last few weeks and are due for a big turnover game.
-Limit the penalties - The Bulldogs have improved greatly in this area and must stay focused this week.
Something has to give this week with a great running offense against a great defense.
The winner takes on the winner of Cypress Woods against Katy Taylor playing at the same time Saturday at Tully Stadium.
The game will be broadcast online at http://www.legacysportsnetwork.com/ starting at 6:45 Saturday.
I will be live on Twitter, you can follow along with me at http://twitter.com/#!/LPBulldogBlog or follow @LPBulldogBlog
Come on out to Galena Park and lets get loud this week to fire up this football team!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Round 2 Matchup set
La Porte (9-2) will play Clear Creek (8-3) in round 2 of the playoffs. Clear Creek took care of business 37-34 against Fort Bend Travis. I will have a preview soon.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Final La Porte 42 South Houston 7 Postgame Analysis
La Porte got off to a rip-roaring start downing South Houston 42-7 in the first round of the 5A division 2 playoffs.
It was a night of scares and upsets around the Houston area(Undefeated The Woodlands lost, Clear Springs lost, North Shore squeaked by Deer Park 17-10), but La Porte avoided a let down and came out ready to make a statement.
The defense had little problem with the South Houston passing attack in the first half. South Houston Senior UT commitment Corner back/Running back Leroy Scott started the game at running back and the Bulldogs were not fooled at all. It will be hard for any team to run on La Porte in the playoffs this year. It was a total team effort for the Bulldog defense. Sophomore Safety Keith Whitely picked up a interception and also made a unbelievable 78 yard punt return for a touchdown, the last 50 yards of the run were with only one shoe. I have to say Whitely was making plays everywhere and has to be considered player of the game this week. We have 2 more seasons to watch this young man and I believe big things are to come. The second half featured the backup defense which did struggle a little bit at the point of attack. This is understandable against South Houston's starters. These underclassmen got some valuable experience and will get into the weight room this summer. The team will only have more depth with them getting playing time, especially being in the playoffs.
On offense La Porte started with Junior QB Josh Vidales in the game. You could tell Senior QB Jeremy McNeal really wanted to be in this game from the beginning, but with the start La Porte had with the punt return the Bulldogs decided to get Vidales some playing time. Senior RB Anthony Webb made a big bang carrying the ball twice for 40 yards and a TD on the Bulldog's first offensive possession. Webb ended up with 119 yards on 14 carries all in the first half. The offensive line opened huge holes for Webb. Vidales struggled a little with his passes, but completed a touchdown to Senior TE Pierre Hernandez. Midway through the 2nd quarter McNeal entered the game and was dominant going 5 for 5 for 65 yards and a 40 yard touchdown pass to Senior WR Justin Collins who got behind the highly recruited South Houston secondary on the first possession of the 3rd quarter. That was it for the night for the starting offense. Junior RB Tommy Banda had a 50 yard run where it looked like he was shot out of a cannon, although he fumbled at the end of it. Freshman RB Hoza Scott had some tough yards to run down the clock in the fourth.
Overall a great and focused performance for La Porte. They got to work on some passing against a good secondary and did not disappoint.
South Houston's Leroy Scott must have had 20 tackles on the night as it seemed he was making every stop for the Trojans. He looks like he will be a great player for the University of Texas.
La Porte will face the winner of the Fort Bend Travis-Clear Creek game being played today at 1pm in Pasadena. Either team will be a great challenge for La Porte.
It was a night of scares and upsets around the Houston area(Undefeated The Woodlands lost, Clear Springs lost, North Shore squeaked by Deer Park 17-10), but La Porte avoided a let down and came out ready to make a statement.
The defense had little problem with the South Houston passing attack in the first half. South Houston Senior UT commitment Corner back/Running back Leroy Scott started the game at running back and the Bulldogs were not fooled at all. It will be hard for any team to run on La Porte in the playoffs this year. It was a total team effort for the Bulldog defense. Sophomore Safety Keith Whitely picked up a interception and also made a unbelievable 78 yard punt return for a touchdown, the last 50 yards of the run were with only one shoe. I have to say Whitely was making plays everywhere and has to be considered player of the game this week. We have 2 more seasons to watch this young man and I believe big things are to come. The second half featured the backup defense which did struggle a little bit at the point of attack. This is understandable against South Houston's starters. These underclassmen got some valuable experience and will get into the weight room this summer. The team will only have more depth with them getting playing time, especially being in the playoffs.
On offense La Porte started with Junior QB Josh Vidales in the game. You could tell Senior QB Jeremy McNeal really wanted to be in this game from the beginning, but with the start La Porte had with the punt return the Bulldogs decided to get Vidales some playing time. Senior RB Anthony Webb made a big bang carrying the ball twice for 40 yards and a TD on the Bulldog's first offensive possession. Webb ended up with 119 yards on 14 carries all in the first half. The offensive line opened huge holes for Webb. Vidales struggled a little with his passes, but completed a touchdown to Senior TE Pierre Hernandez. Midway through the 2nd quarter McNeal entered the game and was dominant going 5 for 5 for 65 yards and a 40 yard touchdown pass to Senior WR Justin Collins who got behind the highly recruited South Houston secondary on the first possession of the 3rd quarter. That was it for the night for the starting offense. Junior RB Tommy Banda had a 50 yard run where it looked like he was shot out of a cannon, although he fumbled at the end of it. Freshman RB Hoza Scott had some tough yards to run down the clock in the fourth.
Overall a great and focused performance for La Porte. They got to work on some passing against a good secondary and did not disappoint.
South Houston's Leroy Scott must have had 20 tackles on the night as it seemed he was making every stop for the Trojans. He looks like he will be a great player for the University of Texas.
La Porte will face the winner of the Fort Bend Travis-Clear Creek game being played today at 1pm in Pasadena. Either team will be a great challenge for La Porte.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Gameday La Porte vs South Houston
A couple of notes before tonight's game:
- 5A Texas football uses their special algorithm for predicting games. Here are a couple of links previewing Division 2 Region 3 and beyond... Very interesting where they have LP ending up in their predictions:
http://www.5atexasfootball.com/playoffs/bi-district/d2r3/
http://www.5atexasfootball.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/2010-Predictor-Playoff-Brackets-D2.pdf
- The Houston Chronicle labels La Porte, Alief Taylor and Cypress Woods as region 3 favorites.
http://blogs.chron.com/prepsports/2010/11/football_breaking_down_the_bra_1.html
Looks like the bad weather will be holding off until after midnight. Tonights game should be a great one!
For those at home you can listen on http://www.legacysportsnetwork.com/.
I will be live on twitter @lpbulldogblog or http://twitter.com/#!/LPBulldogBlog. Follow along I will provide highlights and commentary.
See everyone out there!
- 5A Texas football uses their special algorithm for predicting games. Here are a couple of links previewing Division 2 Region 3 and beyond... Very interesting where they have LP ending up in their predictions:
http://www.5atexasfootball.com/playoffs/bi-district/d2r3/
http://www.5atexasfootball.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/2010-Predictor-Playoff-Brackets-D2.pdf
- The Houston Chronicle labels La Porte, Alief Taylor and Cypress Woods as region 3 favorites.
http://blogs.chron.com/prepsports/2010/11/football_breaking_down_the_bra_1.html
Looks like the bad weather will be holding off until after midnight. Tonights game should be a great one!
For those at home you can listen on http://www.legacysportsnetwork.com/.
I will be live on twitter @lpbulldogblog or http://twitter.com/#!/LPBulldogBlog. Follow along I will provide highlights and commentary.
See everyone out there!
Monday, November 8, 2010
Playoffs! Round 1 La Porte vs South Houston Preview
The La Porte Bulldogs (8-2) will face the South Houston Trojans (5-5) this Friday at 7pm at the Galena Park ISD stadium! This is the first round of the 5A Division 2 Playoffs.
Here is the Division 2 bracket: http://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=379099&tclass=Division%202
La Porte has a favorable bracket and could have another big playoff run in them this season. However, before we get too far ahead of ourselves, South Houston will be ready for the Bulldogs this Friday.
South Houston is in the playoffs for just the 4th time in the last 20 years. They have won two playoff games in the school's history going back to 1958. Things are changing this season under new coach and former NFL'er C.L. Whittington. The Trojans are led by a spread passing attack and a very heavily recruited player on the defensive side of the ball. They have underclassmen all over the field and will only get better in years to come.
These two teams have four common opponents this season:
Atascocita (3-7)
La Porte won 35-0
South Houston lost 38-18
Baytown Sterling (2-8)
La Porte won 56-21
South Houston won 51-50
Deer Park (7-3)
La Porte lost 21-19
South Houston lost 30-27
Port Arthur Memorial (7-3)
La Porte won 37-13
South Houston lost 48-13
On offense South Houston's spread passing attack features Junior QB Rudis Requeno. He is a small QB (5-9, 175) with good feet in the pocket and good instincts. He has racked up some yardage this season through the air with 2042 yards and 17 touchdowns. He does not add much of a running threat, but he is quick. Requeno's favorite target is Sophomore Receiver Torre Daniel (55 catches for 558 yards). The Trojans spread the ball around to a wide number of receivers South Houston will try to use quick passes to beat the big time La Porte pass rush. They will keep the ball through the air, as their leading rusher is Sophomore back Byron Hodges with only 300 yards rushing on the season. One player to look out for when he comes in on offense is Senior and UT commitment Cornerback Leroy Scott. He only had 26 carries on the season, but put them to good use with 239 yards and 4 touchdowns. I wouldn't be surprised to see him more on offense to try and extend South Houston's season.
La Porte on defense comes into the post season as one of the top defenses in the Houston area. In the season finale against Beaumont West Brook's spread passing offense the Bulldogs shut down one of the best passers in the state Senior Bruce Reyes in the second half to come out victorious. This was a great warm-up for this week. La Porte's front 7 is very efficient stopping the run and did not give up 100 yards to any individual runner this season. Junior Linebacker Chad Sutherland has been the team leader and finds himself in the right place at the right time continuously. I could name names all day and still not recognize everyone that has stood out this season on defense. This week the secondary will have to step up once again with Senior Cornerbacks John Wesby and Ben Flores leading the way. La Porte will be prepared for the all-out passing attack and will mix up their coverages and blitz packages just like they did against West Brook. The Bulldogs have forced 23 turnovers in 10 games and will need more of the same this week.
On defense South Houston is led by Scott who will be taking his talents to Austin next season. At 5-10, 185 with a 4.4 40 yard dash, he is a great athlete and a shutdown cornerback. The Trojans have struggled against the run and they will have to step it up this week to have a chance against the vaunted La Porte rushing attack. Against the better rushing teams on their schedule they have given up 10 yards per carry to the other teams leading rusher every time.
La Porte on offense will be running, running and running. There is a question whether Senior QB/Safety Jeremy McNeal will play this week after suffering a mild concussion against West Brook. While his loss would take away a dimension of the Bulldog offense, Junior QB/Punter Josh Vidales showed he could fill in admirably. No matter who the Quarterback is this week this game will be won between the tackles for the Bulldogs. UH commitment and Senior Running Back Anthony Webb comes into this week on a roll. racking up 400 yards and 7 touchdowns the last two weeks. On the season he stands at 1300 yards and 20 touchdowns. I don't expect much passing from La Porte this week as they will try to keep the South Houston offense off the field with long sustained drives.
Keys to the game:
-Stay focused and ready for South Houston, any team that makes the playoffs is a threat.
-The La Porte secondary must keep the South Houston receivers in front of them and make solid tackles.
-Pound the rock on the ground with Webb, Keith Whitely and Hoza Scott. Don't let up.
This team needs all the support they can get and I expect a big crowd in Galena Park Friday night!
This is my inaugural article for lpinsider.com http://www.lpinsider.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=124:playoffs-round-1-preview&catid=34:lp-football&Itemid=79
Check out that website, it has local La Porte news and also features other La Porte High School and junior high sports.
Here is the Division 2 bracket: http://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=379099&tclass=Division%202
La Porte has a favorable bracket and could have another big playoff run in them this season. However, before we get too far ahead of ourselves, South Houston will be ready for the Bulldogs this Friday.
South Houston is in the playoffs for just the 4th time in the last 20 years. They have won two playoff games in the school's history going back to 1958. Things are changing this season under new coach and former NFL'er C.L. Whittington. The Trojans are led by a spread passing attack and a very heavily recruited player on the defensive side of the ball. They have underclassmen all over the field and will only get better in years to come.
These two teams have four common opponents this season:
Atascocita (3-7)
La Porte won 35-0
South Houston lost 38-18
Baytown Sterling (2-8)
La Porte won 56-21
South Houston won 51-50
Deer Park (7-3)
La Porte lost 21-19
South Houston lost 30-27
Port Arthur Memorial (7-3)
La Porte won 37-13
South Houston lost 48-13
On offense South Houston's spread passing attack features Junior QB Rudis Requeno. He is a small QB (5-9, 175) with good feet in the pocket and good instincts. He has racked up some yardage this season through the air with 2042 yards and 17 touchdowns. He does not add much of a running threat, but he is quick. Requeno's favorite target is Sophomore Receiver Torre Daniel (55 catches for 558 yards). The Trojans spread the ball around to a wide number of receivers South Houston will try to use quick passes to beat the big time La Porte pass rush. They will keep the ball through the air, as their leading rusher is Sophomore back Byron Hodges with only 300 yards rushing on the season. One player to look out for when he comes in on offense is Senior and UT commitment Cornerback Leroy Scott. He only had 26 carries on the season, but put them to good use with 239 yards and 4 touchdowns. I wouldn't be surprised to see him more on offense to try and extend South Houston's season.
La Porte on defense comes into the post season as one of the top defenses in the Houston area. In the season finale against Beaumont West Brook's spread passing offense the Bulldogs shut down one of the best passers in the state Senior Bruce Reyes in the second half to come out victorious. This was a great warm-up for this week. La Porte's front 7 is very efficient stopping the run and did not give up 100 yards to any individual runner this season. Junior Linebacker Chad Sutherland has been the team leader and finds himself in the right place at the right time continuously. I could name names all day and still not recognize everyone that has stood out this season on defense. This week the secondary will have to step up once again with Senior Cornerbacks John Wesby and Ben Flores leading the way. La Porte will be prepared for the all-out passing attack and will mix up their coverages and blitz packages just like they did against West Brook. The Bulldogs have forced 23 turnovers in 10 games and will need more of the same this week.
On defense South Houston is led by Scott who will be taking his talents to Austin next season. At 5-10, 185 with a 4.4 40 yard dash, he is a great athlete and a shutdown cornerback. The Trojans have struggled against the run and they will have to step it up this week to have a chance against the vaunted La Porte rushing attack. Against the better rushing teams on their schedule they have given up 10 yards per carry to the other teams leading rusher every time.
La Porte on offense will be running, running and running. There is a question whether Senior QB/Safety Jeremy McNeal will play this week after suffering a mild concussion against West Brook. While his loss would take away a dimension of the Bulldog offense, Junior QB/Punter Josh Vidales showed he could fill in admirably. No matter who the Quarterback is this week this game will be won between the tackles for the Bulldogs. UH commitment and Senior Running Back Anthony Webb comes into this week on a roll. racking up 400 yards and 7 touchdowns the last two weeks. On the season he stands at 1300 yards and 20 touchdowns. I don't expect much passing from La Porte this week as they will try to keep the South Houston offense off the field with long sustained drives.
Keys to the game:
-Stay focused and ready for South Houston, any team that makes the playoffs is a threat.
-The La Porte secondary must keep the South Houston receivers in front of them and make solid tackles.
-Pound the rock on the ground with Webb, Keith Whitely and Hoza Scott. Don't let up.
This team needs all the support they can get and I expect a big crowd in Galena Park Friday night!
This is my inaugural article for lpinsider.com http://www.lpinsider.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=124:playoffs-round-1-preview&catid=34:lp-football&Itemid=79
Check out that website, it has local La Porte news and also features other La Porte High School and junior high sports.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
La Porte vs Beaumont West Brook Highlight Video
Courtesy of Dr. Mark Redd
Great videos this year from Dr. Redd! Pleasure meeting you Friday sir.
Webb and the o-line were not giving any penetration from the West Brook front 7. Look at them dominate at the point of attack.
Final La Porte 19 Beaumont West Brook 14
What a great performance from the Bulldogs to close out the regular season!
Both teams came into the game already cemented in their playoff position. Both teams also played their starters to the end.
La Porte's defense was the star of the game. Although West Brook did drop a bunch of passes, the Bulldogs forced all-state Senior QB Bruce Reyes to scramble and made him uncomfortable all night. The Bulldogs held the Bruins to 3 yards a carry on the ground and forced them to pass. Reyes ended up with 243 yards passing on the night. He is a great player and I can see why he receives as much hype as he does. Most of those yards were in the first half as the La Porte D shut them down in the second half with good coverage and tackling. The defense will have great momentum going into the playoffs against another passing team in South Houston. South Houston passes, but not nearly at the caliber of West Brook.
On offense Senior RB Anthony Webb and the o-line dominated all night long. They sustained long drives and kept the defense fresh. This was the exact gameplan needed for victory this week. Webb ended up with 38 carries for 187 yards and 3 touchdowns. By far this was his highest total carry output on the season. The offensive line dominated this game. The West Brook front seven was gassed in the 4th quarter.
Senior QB Jeremy McNeal was hurt just before halftime and he did not return in the second half. I hope he is ok because he will be needed in the next few weeks. I saw him standing on the sidelines in the second half which is a good sign for next week.
I have to hand it to Junior QB/Punter Josh Vidales. He came in and led this team seamlessly, completing important drive extending passes. Vidales also had some huge punts that backed West Brook up all second half. The one thing I noticed, when he pitched the ball to Webb he was the first one down-field blocking. He looked very quick. It was good for him to get some action against a good team.
Great job by the Bulldogs to pull out a second place finish in a very tough district 21-5A. La Porte finishes the regular season with a 8-2 record.
Final 21-5A standings:
9-1 5-0 North Shore
8-2 4-1 La Porte
7-3 3-2 Beaumont West Brook
7-3 2-3 Port Arthur Memorial
1-9 1-4 Channelview
2-8 0-5 Baytown Sterling
Now it's onto the playoffs! La Porte has a good/favorable matchup in the first round with South Houston. They will need to stay focused this week for success in round 1. I will have a full game preview in the next couple of days.
No matter what the Bulldogs will NOT face Katy this year. They will be playing in the Division 1 Bracket with the rest of the big boys.
Both teams came into the game already cemented in their playoff position. Both teams also played their starters to the end.
La Porte's defense was the star of the game. Although West Brook did drop a bunch of passes, the Bulldogs forced all-state Senior QB Bruce Reyes to scramble and made him uncomfortable all night. The Bulldogs held the Bruins to 3 yards a carry on the ground and forced them to pass. Reyes ended up with 243 yards passing on the night. He is a great player and I can see why he receives as much hype as he does. Most of those yards were in the first half as the La Porte D shut them down in the second half with good coverage and tackling. The defense will have great momentum going into the playoffs against another passing team in South Houston. South Houston passes, but not nearly at the caliber of West Brook.
On offense Senior RB Anthony Webb and the o-line dominated all night long. They sustained long drives and kept the defense fresh. This was the exact gameplan needed for victory this week. Webb ended up with 38 carries for 187 yards and 3 touchdowns. By far this was his highest total carry output on the season. The offensive line dominated this game. The West Brook front seven was gassed in the 4th quarter.
Senior QB Jeremy McNeal was hurt just before halftime and he did not return in the second half. I hope he is ok because he will be needed in the next few weeks. I saw him standing on the sidelines in the second half which is a good sign for next week.
I have to hand it to Junior QB/Punter Josh Vidales. He came in and led this team seamlessly, completing important drive extending passes. Vidales also had some huge punts that backed West Brook up all second half. The one thing I noticed, when he pitched the ball to Webb he was the first one down-field blocking. He looked very quick. It was good for him to get some action against a good team.
Great job by the Bulldogs to pull out a second place finish in a very tough district 21-5A. La Porte finishes the regular season with a 8-2 record.
Final 21-5A standings:
9-1 5-0 North Shore
8-2 4-1 La Porte
7-3 3-2 Beaumont West Brook
7-3 2-3 Port Arthur Memorial
1-9 1-4 Channelview
2-8 0-5 Baytown Sterling
Now it's onto the playoffs! La Porte has a good/favorable matchup in the first round with South Houston. They will need to stay focused this week for success in round 1. I will have a full game preview in the next couple of days.
No matter what the Bulldogs will NOT face Katy this year. They will be playing in the Division 1 Bracket with the rest of the big boys.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
First round playoff matchup set for the Bulldogs
La Porte will face the South Houston Trojans in round one of the division 2 playoffs. The game will be next Friday the 12th at 7pm at Galena Park ISD stadium.
The Trojans come into the game with a 5-5 record and were defeated by Pasadena Memorial 33-7 in their season finale. I will have more info on their team in my preview next week.
The Trojans come into the game with a 5-5 record and were defeated by Pasadena Memorial 33-7 in their season finale. I will have more info on their team in my preview next week.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Week 10 La Porte vs Beaumont West Brook Preview
The La Porte Bulldogs (7-2, 3-1) come home this week for the regular season finale against the Beaumont West Brook Bruins (7-2, 3-1). This is the final tuneup for the Bulldogs for the playoffs that start next week.
La Porte has clinched the #1 seed from 21-5A in the division 2 bracket. They will play the loser of the 22-5A season finale between South Houston and Pasadena Memorial in round 1 of the playoffs.
This week against the Bruins is for bragging rights and to determine who will be the district runner-up. It will also provide the chance for La Porte to face an elite high school QB in Senior Bruce Reyes. This will be a good challenge for La Porte and the spread offenses they will see in the playoffs.
West Brook comes into the game off of a 35-3 home victory over Channelview last week in Beaumont. Their two losses this season were to Katy and North Shore, state powers. The Bruins had a similar victory over Port Arthur Memorial 42-15.
On offense Reyes is the key to the Bruins' engine. He has completed almost 70% of his passes for almost 1500 yards and 14tds. Reyes missed most of the Katy game and all of the next week's game and still put up very impressive stats. La Porte will need to put pressure on Reyes and make him uncomfortable. If he has time to throw he doesn't miss much. Senior receivers Reggie Begelton and Jacolby Cunigan lead the way as Reyes' favorite targets combining for almost 1000 yards and 11tds. On the ground the Bruins spread the ball between small backs Junior Percy Johnson (610 yards and 7tds) and Senior Dylan Harvey (543 yards and 11tds).
West Brook's front 7 leads their defense. Although they have shown some vulnerability against the run game vs some of the better teams they have faced. La Porte will challenge them to stop the run all night.
On offense the Bulldogs have Seniors QB Jeremy McNeal and RB Anthony Webb peaking at the right time. Webb turned in his best performance of the season last week against Memorial with almost 200 yards and 4tds on the ground. McNeal has seen success with the play-action pass and is a lightning bolt carrying the ball. Last week he even got in on some defensive action intercepting a pass for a touchdown.
On defense the La Porte 3-4 turned in a great performance last week against Port Arthur Memorial and will need a similar performance this week. The secondary has been a strength, this will be a great test, and the best passing team they will see all season. The linebackers will have to mix up their looks and try to confuse the Bruins o-line. Pressure on the QB will be the key. I know West Brook will have a tough time getting yards on the ground against the stout La Porte front 7.
Keys to a Bulldog victory:
-Time of possession should be a big advantage for La Porte and will keep the defense fresh chasing around the passing game of West Brook. They must keep the West Brook offense off the field as much as possible.
-Defense will need to get pressure and force Reyes into bad decisions, if possible.
-If La Porte wants to work on something for the playoffs I would say throwing a couple of deep balls would be on that list to see if they can open up some quick strikes come playoff time.
I think these teams are relatively even matched, although West Brook carries a higher pedigree into this game. La Porte should be able to stay with them and if they impose their will they will pull out a close victory. Penalties and turnovers must be minimized for the Bulldogs.
I'm going out on a limb here and thinking La Porte will face South Houston in round 1 of the playoffs, probably in Deer Park next weekend. Lets hope we get out of this week injury free and ready for another long playoff run.
If you can't make it out tune in online at http://www.legacysportsnetwork.com/.
Follow along with me at www.twitter.com/lpbulldogblog as I will be updating throughout the game. Those who can't make it especially from Beaumont you can tune in online or follow me on Twitter.
For those coming from Beaumont, the easiest way to get here is I-10 to the Grand Parkway/Hwy 99 exit. Take a left on Grand Parkway and drive until it dead ends into Business 146 in Baytown. Take a left at the stop sign and follow that road until you reach the exit for La Porte/146 south. You go over the bridge and take the Fairmont Parkway exit and take a left on Fairmont. The stadium will be on that road on the left side. Park on the other side of the gym for the visitor side of the stadium.
Hope to see a good crowd!
La Porte has clinched the #1 seed from 21-5A in the division 2 bracket. They will play the loser of the 22-5A season finale between South Houston and Pasadena Memorial in round 1 of the playoffs.
This week against the Bruins is for bragging rights and to determine who will be the district runner-up. It will also provide the chance for La Porte to face an elite high school QB in Senior Bruce Reyes. This will be a good challenge for La Porte and the spread offenses they will see in the playoffs.
West Brook comes into the game off of a 35-3 home victory over Channelview last week in Beaumont. Their two losses this season were to Katy and North Shore, state powers. The Bruins had a similar victory over Port Arthur Memorial 42-15.
On offense Reyes is the key to the Bruins' engine. He has completed almost 70% of his passes for almost 1500 yards and 14tds. Reyes missed most of the Katy game and all of the next week's game and still put up very impressive stats. La Porte will need to put pressure on Reyes and make him uncomfortable. If he has time to throw he doesn't miss much. Senior receivers Reggie Begelton and Jacolby Cunigan lead the way as Reyes' favorite targets combining for almost 1000 yards and 11tds. On the ground the Bruins spread the ball between small backs Junior Percy Johnson (610 yards and 7tds) and Senior Dylan Harvey (543 yards and 11tds).
West Brook's front 7 leads their defense. Although they have shown some vulnerability against the run game vs some of the better teams they have faced. La Porte will challenge them to stop the run all night.
On offense the Bulldogs have Seniors QB Jeremy McNeal and RB Anthony Webb peaking at the right time. Webb turned in his best performance of the season last week against Memorial with almost 200 yards and 4tds on the ground. McNeal has seen success with the play-action pass and is a lightning bolt carrying the ball. Last week he even got in on some defensive action intercepting a pass for a touchdown.
On defense the La Porte 3-4 turned in a great performance last week against Port Arthur Memorial and will need a similar performance this week. The secondary has been a strength, this will be a great test, and the best passing team they will see all season. The linebackers will have to mix up their looks and try to confuse the Bruins o-line. Pressure on the QB will be the key. I know West Brook will have a tough time getting yards on the ground against the stout La Porte front 7.
Keys to a Bulldog victory:
-Time of possession should be a big advantage for La Porte and will keep the defense fresh chasing around the passing game of West Brook. They must keep the West Brook offense off the field as much as possible.
-Defense will need to get pressure and force Reyes into bad decisions, if possible.
-If La Porte wants to work on something for the playoffs I would say throwing a couple of deep balls would be on that list to see if they can open up some quick strikes come playoff time.
I think these teams are relatively even matched, although West Brook carries a higher pedigree into this game. La Porte should be able to stay with them and if they impose their will they will pull out a close victory. Penalties and turnovers must be minimized for the Bulldogs.
I'm going out on a limb here and thinking La Porte will face South Houston in round 1 of the playoffs, probably in Deer Park next weekend. Lets hope we get out of this week injury free and ready for another long playoff run.
If you can't make it out tune in online at http://www.legacysportsnetwork.com/.
Follow along with me at www.twitter.com/lpbulldogblog as I will be updating throughout the game. Those who can't make it especially from Beaumont you can tune in online or follow me on Twitter.
For those coming from Beaumont, the easiest way to get here is I-10 to the Grand Parkway/Hwy 99 exit. Take a left on Grand Parkway and drive until it dead ends into Business 146 in Baytown. Take a left at the stop sign and follow that road until you reach the exit for La Porte/146 south. You go over the bridge and take the Fairmont Parkway exit and take a left on Fairmont. The stadium will be on that road on the left side. Park on the other side of the gym for the visitor side of the stadium.
Hope to see a good crowd!
La Porte vs Port Arthur Memorial Highlight Video
Chad Sutherland was fired up!
Don't let Jeremy McNeal have open field to run in #itsovah
Anthony Webb was running all over them
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