Bridge City 7 14 7 14- 42
Cleveland 7 0 14 14- 35
District 10-4A, Division I action started Friday night. The district is like the beginning of a new season for some teams and that almost became a reality for the two teams playing at Bridge City’s Larry B. Ward Stadium. The Bridge City Cardinals had suffered just one loss and were coming off their most impressive win of the season, while the Cleveland Indians were still looking for their first win. It took the Cardinals having to fall on an Indians’ onside kick with 50 seconds left in the game to secure a 42-35 victory in the district opener for both teams.
Bridge City (4-1, 1-0) used its Slot-T offense to roll up over 400 yards of offense and never trailed in the game, but never seemed to be assured of a win until the recovery of that onside kick followed by two kneel downs by the Cardinal quarterback. Cleveland (0-5, 0-1) is still looking for win number one, however, the Indians showed they could be a thorn in some other team’s side before district is over.
Three Cardinals rushed for at least 90 yards each. Cayce Draper had 98 yards with two touchdowns on 15 carries, Colt Poole toted the ball 5 times for an outstanding 91 yards including a 54-yard burst on his first carry, and Camden DuBois ran the ball 15 times for 90 yards and three scores. The balanced Bridge City ground game saw Patrick Morris and Derick Dearing pickup 46 yards apiece. Dearing added a touchdown to boot.
DuBois completed two of his five passes, but both were for good yardage and would lead to Cardinal touchdowns. His 39-yard pass to Brody McBee at the end of the first quarter set up Bridge City’s go ahead touchdown to start the second quarter which made the score 14-7. The Cardinals would not relinquish the lead the rest of the game.
The second big pass play came in the fourth quarter when DuBois found tight end Austin Fitts open over the middle for a 32-yard completion that gave the Cardinals a first down at the Cleveland 27. DuBois would cap that drive with his third score of the night on a 3-yard run. Alfredo Heraldes was successful on his sixth straight point after of the game to give Bridge City a 42-28 lead with just 4:14 to play.
The Indians responded with a scoring drive of their own. D. D. Jackson who had a good night running and throwing the football was sacked by Kane Booth of the Cardinals on what appeared to be the last hurrah for Cleveland. On fourth-and-26 from the Bridge City 31, Jackson lofted a pass to the end zone that went off the hands of a Cardinal defender and was pulled in by Leroy Scott as he tumbled to the ground for the touchdown. Jackson ran for 75 yards and one touchdown while throwing for 87 yards and two scores. The point after kick pulled the Indians within seven points with just under a minute to play in the game. The unsuccessful attempt at the onside kick followed, and the Cardinals celebrated their first district win under first year Head Coach Dwayne DuBois.
Bridge City has a bye week upcoming and will resume district play in two weeks at Jasper against the Bulldogs. Cleveland will try for that elusive first win next week at home against those same Jasper Bulldogs.
-Dan Perrine, KOGT-
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