Ever since the Bulldogs opened fall camp in early August, they knew that Corrigan-Camden was going to be their biggest challenge of the season. The game has been circled on the calendar and now it’s finally here.
In a game that could ultimately decide the District 21-2A championship, Corrigan-Camden rolls into town looking to avenge last season’s 21-14 loss to New Waverly tonight at Bulldog Stadium.
“Just like it was last year, it’s going to be a dogfight,” New Waverly head coach Ken Craig said. “They’re a good football team in all aspects of the game. They’ve got great skill guys and they’re coached very well. They have a great coaching staff and the kids are prepared well. You can tell that by looking at them on video.”
When Corrigan-Camden (1-0 in district, 5-1 overall) and New Waverly squared off last season, both teams were undefeated and were ready to make a statement against one another. In the end, New Waverly came up with the big plays when they needed to and upset the then 10th-ranked Bulldogs.
“We showed everybody that we actually were something,” said senior cornerback Eli Amador of last season’s victory. “We just came out and did our thing.”
“It felt good because it was my first year on varsity,” junior fullback K.D. Scott said. “We had that big of a game right off the bat. It felt good that we won.”
The Bulldogs went on the road and came away with a huge victory and know that Corrigan-Camden will be aiming to achieve the same thing in New Waverly tonight.
Not only is pride on the line, but the upper hand in the district championship race is also at stake. New Waverly (1-0, 4-2) won last season’s tilt and ended up rolling over the rest of the competition toward the district title.
“(The district championship) is ours right now and they want it,” Craig said. “They have to come over here to our house to get it. You couldn’t ask for it to be better. You like a fight in your own backyard to keep what’s yours.”
With talented running back JoCourtney Johnson, who rushed for 173 yards and two touchdowns against the Bulldogs last season, one of the key battles will be how New Waverly’s defensive line performs against Corrigan’s offensive front.
“Us front four have been practicing real good this week,” senior defensive lineman Justin Ward said. “We’ve been practicing staying low. Corrigan has two real good offensive linemen, a guard and a tackle. JoCourtney, him and Tyren (Watts) are the best backs in our district. We go against, what I think is, the best back in our district (in practice). We just work on shutting him down. If we can shut him down, then we can shut JoCourtney down.”
New Waverly knows that it will have to play its best game of the season in all phases to come out on top and stay unblemished in district play.
“However you want to look at it, this is the district championship ballgame,” Craig said. “If we don’t win this, we won’t get a district championship.
“We’ve got to have our minds right to play and we’ve got to be sharp in all aspects of the game. They’re a team that if you don’t get lined up correctly or execute what you’re supposed to do defensively, then they can score on any snap.
“That’s what makes it exciting. I like to think that they think the same about us, that if they don’t tackle well or don’t fit well on defense, then we have guys that can score on any play.
“It could be one of those classic games. I’m not going to say that it’s going to be high-scoring or low-scoring, you just don’t know going in. It’s going to be like a playoff game.”
Home sweet home? — After going undefeated in Bulldog Stadium last season in its inaugural year and winning this season’s regular-season opener against Teague, it’s been tough sledding for New Waverly at home lately.
The last two times the Bulldogs have played at home, they had to watch another team celebrate on their field. The first home defeat was against Hearne on Sept. 4, losing 34-20. New Waverly also lost to Franklin two weeks later 21-18.
That’s a trend the Bulldogs hope to end tonight against Corrigan-Camden.
“It’s very important for us to put a stop to that streak,” Ward said. “This game is going to play an important part in our outcome the rest of the way.”
Sports
Related Photos
-
Item file photo
Discussion
Heavyweight Fight
Bulldogs clash in game that could decide district title
- Sports
-
-
Bigger, faster and stronger, Hornets can’t wait to kick off 2012 football campaign
This spring, the Hornets have overhauled their offensive plans and head coach Shane Martin, his assistant coaches, and most importantly, the players are pumped about the changes they’ve made.
-
Schallenberg: Kats now hoping résumé speaks for itself
Despite one of the best seasons in school and Southland Conference history, all the Bearkats can do now is watch scoreboards, wait and hope for the best.
-
The thrill of victory ... the agony of defeat
The Bearkats knew exactly what they needed to get done and they were up to the task.
In order to reach championship day of the Southland Conference Baseball Tournament, the Kats would have to stave off elimination twice just to get to today’s final round.
The Bearkats nearly pulled it off. - Kats beat Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 4-3
-
Alive and kicking: Bearkats still in hunt at SLC baseball tourney
With the possibility of going home early from the Southland Conference Tournament and a chance of their season coming to an abrupt end, the Bearkats needed some quality starting pitching and production from their bats in the worst way.
Like he has done all year long, Sam Houston senior Justin Jackson delivered a lights-out performance on the mound and the offense made the kind of impact the Bearkats have been looking for Thursday morning.
Both elements came together at the exact right time as the Kats stayed alive in the tourney with a 7-1 victory over McNeese State in an elimination game at Bobcat Ballpark. -
Bad day for Bearkats
The Bearkats’ road to the NCAA tournament just got a little bit tougher.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi broke out for four runs before top-seeded Sam Houston even stepped to the plate Wednesday afternoon, but the Kats couldn’t find a way to counter that first punch.
Sam Houston connected for eight hits, but could not get enough of those in a row to make a dent in the deficit and are now one loss away from being eliminated from the Southland Conference tournament following a 9-2 loss at the hands of the eighth-seeded Islanders on Wednesday afternoon at the Bobcat Baseball Ballpark. -
Schallenberg: Time is now for Bearkats in Southland tourney
The Bearkats look to take care of business this week in the Southland Conference baseball tournament.
-
Alpha Omega Academy trio shine at state track meet
Freshman brings home four medals, including two golds
-
Tough night for Kats against Rice
The Bearkats had a golden opportunity to make a lasting impression for a potential at-large bid in the NCAA tournament with fifth-ranked Rice coming to town. Sam Houston’s bats couldn’t get going early enough or be able to link enough hits together against the Owls pitching staff and succumbed to a 5-0 loss in the final game of the season at Don Sanders Stadium on Tuesday night.
-
BEARKAT BASEBALL — Plenty up for grabs against fifth-ranked Rice
For several reasons, today’s game against fifth-ranked Rice is going to be a biggie for the Bearkats.
- More Sports Headlines
-
Vatican in Chaos After Butler Arrested for Leaks
Jimmy Carter Endorses Egypt's Election Results
Biden Addresses West Point Graduating Class
Dozens of Children Killed in New Syria Attack
Raw Video: Activists Allege Massacre in Syria
NJ Man Charged With Murder in Death of Patz
Support, Fun for Kids of Fallen Soldiers at Camp
Fugitive Penguin Caught, Returned to Aquarium
50 Years Later, Underground Fire Still Burning
Light Show Transforms Sydney Opera House
Raw Video: Unruly Passenger Restrained in Miami
Raw Video: Robber Uses Drive-thru Window
Raw Video: Dragon Arrives at Space Station
Calif.'s Coronado Named Nation's Best Beach
CEO Salaries Become Sore Issue in Labor Disputes
