Last week was a must win for Bridge City to have any chance for a spot in the post season. The Cardinals won the game 14-8 over the Livingston Lions, but did have an injury that will deserve attention this week.
Coach Allen DeShazo reviewed last week’s contest with Livingston. It was nice to get the win even with starting quarterback Ethan Oceguera going out early with an ankle injury. The ankle is not broken which is a good very news. Oceguera is currently day-to-day for the Cardinals.
Wide receiver Colby Collins stepped in at quarterback and did a great job directing the Bridge City offense. Collins completed a couple of key passes in the game against Livingston.
The Cardinal defense gave a standout performance holding the Lions to just 150 yards of total offense. DeShazo praised, “Just a really good job all around, and we really needed to get that win to keep our hopes alive.”
Splendora is the opponent this week. DeShazo looked at the Wildcats’ offense which is similar to Bridge City’s offense using the Shotgun sometimes with two backs and with some four wide receiver looks. Their offense is balanced with the run and the pass.
Quarterback Cody Thorndyke does a good job handling the offense. Thorndyke will take what opposing defenses give him. If the opposition’s secondary plays deep he will throw underneath, and if defenses play the Wildcat receivers tight Thorndyke is not afraid to throw the football deep.
The offensive line for Splendora is huge. They usually give good protection in the pocket for Thorndyke to throw the ball. Opening holes for the various Wildcats’ running backs is another strength. “They’re just a really good team, and we’re going to have to be on our keys and be on our toes this week,” DeShazo emphasized.
Similar to their offensive line, the Wildcats are big up front on defense. They are very sound defensively and follow their keys well. The Splendora secondary plays not to get beat deep or give up the big play.
Splendora gears its defense to stop the run first and not give up any cheap touchdowns. DeShazo believes the Cardinals’ offensive line is good enough to move the ball against anybody.
Bridge City will look to move the ball against the Splendora defense regardless of who plays quarterback for the Cardinals this week according to Coach DeShazo. The game plan will not change whether it is Oceguera or Collins starting. Putting points on the board will be important whomever the quarterback is since because of the district tiebreaker rules Bridge City must win the game by 11 points to earn a playoff berth.
Hopefully, Oceguera’s ankle will allow him to start, but if the nod goes to Collins, he knows all the pass routes being a receiver. DeShazo explained, “Who’s ever back there taking snaps they know what their job’s going to have to be.”
The Cardinals will be hoping to repeat their winning performance of last week against the Wildcats who have lost two of their last three games. The game will also be Senior Night at Bridge City. Historically the Cardinals have played well with the seniors and the underclassmen giving their best efforts.
DeShazo analyzed the importance of this game to the Bridge City players and stated they know what they have to do. A last second field goal to eke out the win will not get it done under the circumstances. He admits strategies are different when you know your team must win by a certain number of points. “We know what we have to do as far as game plan situations, and it’s going to be interesting for us,” DeShazo concluded.
The Bridge City Cardinals play the Splendora Wildcats on Friday night. The game will begin at 7:00 PM in Bridge City.
-Dan Perrine, KOGT-
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