The 2011 La Porte Bulldogs football team finally cracked the impossible nut. After going 0 for their last 13 games against the North Shore Mustangs, the Bulldogs won their first game against the Mustangs since 1977 with a 38-30 victory in a thriller of a game.
The game did not start out so exciting with La Porte leading 3-0 after the first quarter. Junior Kicker Eric Medina kicked a 38 yard field goal after a long time consuming drive. The La Porte "Dark Side" defense came to play this week and made big plays to stop the Mustangs until late in the first half.
The second quarter North Shore began the march into La Porte territory and after driving down inside the ten yard line Sophomore Linebacker Hoza Scott began one of the wildest sequences of plays ever seen. Five minutes remained in the half. North Shore Senior Receiver Larry McDuffey took the reverse handoff and turned around and threw the ball back across the field where Scott jumped the play and intercepted returning it 84 yards for the score and a La Porte 10-0 lead.
On the ensuing kickoff the Mustangs let the pooch kick hit the turf instead of fielding it and La Porte's Sophomore Running Back Jonathan Lewis recovered. A few plays later Lewis took the handoff and sprinted around the left side for a two yard touchdown run making the score 17-0 La Porte with 3:21 remaining in the half.
North Shore decided to field the kickoff this time and immediately passed their way into La Porte territory, but that's when Hoza Scott would strike again. Junior Nose Tackle Mark Guzman stormed through the line and put his helmet right on the ball exchange between North Shore's Senior duo of Tyrone Newsome and Davonte Milton. The ball popped out and again Scott picked up the fumble and returned it 65 yards for another Bulldog touchdown and a 24-0 lead with 2:42 left in the half. It was a shocking turn of events, but the half was not over yet.
North Shore found all kinds of room underneath the La Porte coverage and stormed down the field with purpose. Newsome found McDuffey all night and the senior combo combined for a nine yard touchdown catch with 1:04 left in the half.
On the ensuing kick La Porte fumbled the pooch kick and North Shore recovered. The momentum began to shift towards the Mustangs. The next play Newsome threw a backwards pass to sophomore backup Quarterback Lawrence McCardell who was lined up at receiver. McCardell threw a absolutely beautiful pass over the Bulldog defender and found Sophomore Wide Receiver Kevian DeLeon for a 23 yard touchdown. That made the score 24-14 La Porte and sent the game into the half. What a wild and frantic finish to the first half!
The second half began with North Shore receiving and driving down to the La Porte 10 where the Dark Side came through with a big stop and forced the Mustangs to kick a Sophomore Kicker Enrique Perez 21 yard field goal. The score was La Porte 24 North Shore 17 with 6:35 left in the 3rd quarter.
A quick stop for the Mustangs and they had completely turned around the game. Tyrone Newsome took the ball on a keeper four yards for a touchdown. However in what may have been the play of the game in a game full of huge plays La Porte Junior Cornerback Malik Graves blocked the extra point. The score with 3:20 remaining in the 3rd quarter was La Porte 24 North Shore 23 and the Bulldogs would never relinquish the lead.
La Porte received the kickoff and used the North Shore heavy pursuit defense against them. The Bulldogs started running misdirection plays and gashed the Mustangs defense. The Bulldogs capped it off with Jonathan Lewis taking the misdirection handoff and he looked like he was shot out of a cannon with Junior Running Back Keith Whitely and Senior Quarterback Josh Vidales leading the way blocking down the left side for a 40 yard touchdown run. The score was now 31-23 Bulldogs with :56 left in the 3rd quarter.
La Porte was not done and forced North Shore to punt. Again the offensive line lead by Juniors Maurice Morris, Tony Briones, Justin King, Corey Lee and Jose Garcia opened huge holes for the La Porte running game and the Bulldogs marched into North Shore territory. A beautiful 37 yard pass from Vidales to Sophomore Wide Receiver Taejon Wearen put La Porte at the one yard line. One play later Senior leader Chad Sutherland plowed into the end zone and a Bulldogs 38-23 lead with 6:47 left.
North Shore however was not done. The Mustangs wasted little time and capped off a quick drive with a 39 yard pass from Newsome to DeLeon. The score was La Porte 38 North Shore 30 with 4:50 left.
La Porte ate some clock on the next drive, but were forced to punt and North Shore would take over at their own 39 with 3:08 left and a chance to score for the tie. However Sophomore Safety Vic Holmes put an end to it with a great interception as North Shore tried to go deep over the Bulldogs safeties. This sealed up the game and the La Porte victory after 34 years of waiting.
It seemed like every player made at least one big play in the game and the seniors really shined. Senior Linebacker Cameron Whilley and Senior Safety Aaron Nance-Garrett had big games with some big hits. Also Senior Linebacker Chris Hickey, Defensive ends Tyrone Graves and Blake Turlington, Juniors Defensive end Alex Jones and Cornerbacks Ellis Hutchinson and Malik Graves all made big plays denying the Mustangs victory. I tried to mention as many as I could, but it was really a complete team effort with great heart shown by all the Bulldogs players.
Most didn't think it could be done, but boy did the La Porte Bulldogs prove them wrong!
I listened to this game off my phone coming in to town Friday night. I think there was one moment (when we were up 24 - 0) everyone expressed a collective "um, wow."
ReplyDeleteDefinitely an exciting one to keep track of.
Can't wait for the LP vs. PAM game. If it wasn't Halloween in Austin, TX, I'd be making my way down for sure!