NF 0 6 6 0- 12
BC 14 21 14 7- 56
It was the same song second versus for the Bridge City Cardinals Friday night. For the second straight week Bridge City won big. The Cardinals defeated the North Forest Bulldogs 56-12 at Bridge City’s Larry B. Ward Stadium.
Even playing without its leading ball carrier Cayce Draper from Week 1, Bridge City (2-0) needed only one pass on the night as it ran up 493 yards on the ground. The Cardinals had three backs rush for at least 100 yards.
Patrick Morris got the Cardinals on the scoreboard quickly with a 13-yard run on Bridge City’s first possession. The point after was missed following a delay of the game penalty on the Cardinals to keep the score 6-0 with 7:06 to play in the first quarter.
The next Bridge City possession Morris scored on the second play going 44 yards around the end. Morris had 136 yards at the half and finished with 170 on 10 carries. Max Baker scored on the two-point conversion to put the Cardinals up 14-0 with 5:24 left in the first period.
North Forest (0-2) showed its explosive capabilities in the second stanza. After just one first down in the initial quarter, quarterback Rashand Jones broke an option play for 22 yards. Two plays later Jones hit Demond Demas on a slant who then split a couple of Cardinal defenders and took it to the house for a 66-yard touchdown. The kick was missed, but the Bulldogs had closed the gap to just eight points.
The Cardinals used the Morris and Baker two step to go back up by two scores driving 70 yards in eight plays. Morris carried four times for 42 yards. Baker picked up 19 yards on two rushes including the touchdown from five yards out. Alfredo Heraldez added the point after, and Bridge City led 21-6.
Hunter Denton got into the scoring act for the Cardinals with a 34-yard run. The only Bridge City pass of the night closed out the first half scoring as Byron Trahan found a wide open Seth Martin for a 33-yard touchdown with just over a minute left in the half.
Just two plays into the second half and the Cardinals went up 42-6. Baker shuffled around right end and danced his way 70 yards for his second score of the evening. Max would later add a 7-yard carry to complete the night with an even 100 yards on six rushes.
The Bulldogs answered with their lone sustained drive of the game. North Forest used ten plays, five running and five passing, to move 83 yards. Jones completed four of five passes for 41 yards while also running the ball three times for 25 yards. Tight End Aleric Manuel caught a 12-yard pass from Jones to complete the march. The try for two failed with the score 42-12 and 5:27 to play in the third quarter.
The Cardinals’ replacement for Draper at fullback got to strut his stuff on the next two Bridge City possessions. Andy Lara who was not even listed in the game program’s roster took a handoff straight up the middle and outraced the last Bulldog defender for a 71-yard touchdown late in the third. Lara scored again the next time the Cardinals had the ball from 19 yards. He went over the century mark with 119 yards on six totes of the football.
Next week may be a different tune for the Bridge City Cardinals as they play host to the undefeated West Orange-Stark Mustangs. In two games the Mustangs have not allowed a point. The game will be carried live on KOGT.
-Dan Perrine, KOGT-
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