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| WEEK 7 FOOTBALL: Silsbee 28, Bridge City 21 |
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Posted: Friday, November 13, 2009 1:57 pm
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By GERRY L. DICKERT
The Bee
The Silsbee Tigers proved once again Friday night that the one-faceted team they were predicted to be is way off track as Jeremy Johnson’s offensive prowess and the Maroon and White defense worked together to derail Bridge City in a 28-21 homecoming win at Tigers Stadium.
Just a week after stopping state-ranked West Orange-Stark, the Tigers moved to 2-0 in District 21-3A play after dropping Bridge City. Silsbee is the only remaining undefeated team in the district, standing alone at the top of the standings.
Bridge City opened the game with an onside kick attempt, which was recovered by the Tigers at their own 49 yard line.
Silsbee inched forward until quarterback Johnson broke through the Cardinals defense for 18 yards and a first down at the BC 24 yard line. Two straight runs by Chris Barnes put the Tigers at the Cardinals 18, but that would be as far as the Tigers could go on this possession. An incomplete pass and a pass for no gain resulted in a turnover on downs, putting the BC offense on the field for the first time.
Immediately, the Tigers defense spoke up with Jacob Keefer stuffing Bridge City quarterback Josh Lemoine for a two-yard loss on first down.
A holding penalty pushed BC back to their own 7 yard line and back-to-back runs by Matt Menard only netted two yards to the 10. On the next play, facing a charging Silsbee defense, Lemoine threw a pass that was picked off by Jarrian Rhone.
This time, set up at the BC 24 yard line, the Tigers would not be disappointed. After a two-yard run by Barnes, Johnson hit Kelson McDaniel in the back of the end zone for a 22-yard touchdown. Caleb Henry booted the extra point and Silsbee led 7-0 with just over six minutes left in the first quarter.
Henry booted the kickoff on the ensuing play deep to the Bridge City 5-yard-line, but Menard was able to find a seam, returning the ball to the 43 where the Cardinals offense set up shop.
On the first play from scrimmage, Lemoine hurled a pass down the middle of the field into triple coverage. The ball flew over the outreached arms of the three Silsbee defenders and No. 24 stretched out backwards to haul in the acrobatic reception down to the Silsbee 8 yard line.
Menard ran three yards to the five and Lemoine managed to get four more to the one on second down.
On third-and-goal from the one, Menard bulled his way into the end zone to tie the game at 7-7.
The Bridge City defense stepped up on the next offensive possession by the Tigers as the Cardinals pressured Johnson at every opportunity, eventually forcing a punt.
Bridge City faced the same sort of harassment from the Tigers on their next offensive possession and the Cardinals were also forced to punt.
The Tigers started at their own 17 yard line with Johnson peppering passes to Prentice Lane for three yards, McDaniel for eight and Barnes for seven.
On first down from the Bridge City 42, Johnson trucked the ball and head-faked a defender, leaving on opening up the middle. With nothing but the end zone in sight, Johnson turned on the afterburners and 58 yards later, the Tigers held a 13-7 lead. Henry booted the PAT for a 14-7 advantage with 11:11 left in the second quarter.
Not to be outdone, Bridge City began to march with its next possession, moving from its own 35 yard line down to the Silsbee 2 in eight plays.
Menard was the workhorse of the drive while Lemoine finessed his way into pass completions and a few yards here and there on foot.
With 7:10 left in the first half, Menard crossed the goal line from 2 yards out. Devin Bertrand’s extra-point kick tied the game at 14-14.
The two teams swapped punts on the next two possessions, then Silsbee set up in decent field position, working down to the Bridge City 30 where, with 11 seconds left, Johnson took a shot at the end zone on fourth down.
The ball was overthrown, leaving the game tied as the first half expired.
Bridge City opened the second half with some success, but Silsbee defense was simply waiting in the secondary, ready to pounce.
On third down, Lemoine hurled a pass to his left and Silsbee defender Lane stepped into the path of the ball, picking off the pass to end the early BC threat.
Taking that momentum onto the field, the Tigers rolled 43 yards in seven plays down to the Bridge City 20.
On third down, Johnson lofted a pass high into the air and Lane went up for it, getting the ball rebound-style over the head of the defender for a touchdown at the 6:37 mark of the third quarter.
Henry hit the PAT kick again for a 21-14 Silsbee lead.
After the ensuing kickoff, Bridge City found its back pushed to its own goal line. After three plays, the Cardinals were forced to punt. The snap to the punter was high and he dropped the ball. After he corralled the loose ball, he ran, making it to the 3 yard line where Silsbee’s offense took over.
It took just one play for Rahkeem Bolton to get into the end zone for a 3-yard score at the 4:22 mark of the third quarter.
The Tigers led 28-14 after the Henry kick, but would also be the last time Silsbee would score in the game.
Another 16-plus minutes remained in the game and it would be up to the Tigers defense to bring home the win.
Lemoine and Menard took it on their shoulders to bring the Cardinals back into the action but their efforts were stalled when Lemoine coughed up the ball and Bolton recovered.
Three plays later, Johnson appeared to tuck the ball away as he headed to the far side of the field. As the Bridge City defense closed in, he pitched the ball on an option play but there was no one there to receive his offerings and the Cardinals recovered at the Bridge City 48.
Menard threw the Cardinals on his back and carried them from the BC 48 down to the Silsbee 12, with a little help by a 15-yard personal foul penalty by Silsbee.
As the third quarter ended, Bridge City stood at the Silsbee 10 with a second down.
Menard ran hard to the 5 yard line on second down, then got stuffed hard by the Tigers defense for no gain.
On fourth down, Lemoine connected with Cameron Dishon in the end zone. The Bertrand kick was good and the Cards were within one score of tying the game with 10:31 left in the fourth quarter.
After another unsuccessful onside kick attempt by Bridge City, the Tigers were set up in pretty good field position at their own 46.
Johnson carried the ball five yards to the BC 49 and McDaniel hauled in a Johnson pass for nine yards to the 40. Johnson again carried the ball, this time for three yards to the BC 37.
On second and seven, Johnson stepped back and chucked the ball into the end zone, attempting to hit McDaniel for another aerial score.
Only this time, the Cardinals intercepted and took possession of the ball at the 20-yard-line with 9:35 left in the game.
Menard immediately ripped off a 17-yard run to the BC 37 but Lemoine would slip in the mud that still swamped the field after last week’s rain storms, dropping the Cards back to the 34.
That would be as far as BC would get on this drive as they attempted two consecutive passes that fell incomplete, forced to punt with 8:06 left in the game.
Bolton took the punt and tore off a great run back to the Bridge City 29.
Johnson tucked the ball away on the first two plays of the drive, picking up nine yards twice, down to the BC 11.
Barnes carried on the next down from the 11 but was pushed back to the 12. Johnson was stood up by the BC defense for a one-yard loss to the 13 and an incomplete pass by Johnson to McDaniel had Silsbee facing a fourth-and-12 from the 13.
Henry attempted a 30-yard field goal that went wide right, leaving the Tigers up still 28-21 with 5:32 left in the contest.
The Cardinals had just one chance left to drive the field and either tie the game, or go ahead with a touchdown and 2-point conversion.
Starting at the 20, Dishon ran twice, but managed only two yards to the 22.
Lemoine hit Menard for an 18-yard gainer on third down to the BC 40. The duo connected again on the ensuing play for a 14-yard gain to the Silsbee 46.
Menard ran on fist down, picking up seven yards to the 39.
Then the Silsbee defense bowed up.
Tiger Todd McKee got in quick to tackle Lemoine for a two-yard loss to the 41. Lemoine reacted with a pass completion to Luke Rhodes for six yards to the 35. Menard ran the ball but managed just one yard to the 34.
That was it. The Tigers defense would allow no more as the Cardinals threw two incomplete passes, one into the end zone, to force a fourth down at the Silsbee 34.
Lemoine took the fourth-down snap and rolled to his right. Whether it was the mud again, or tripping over one of his own linemen, Lemoine faltered, his knee hit the ground and the ball belonged to Silsbee with 1:02 left in the game.
Johnson kneeled the ball three straight times to allow the clock to run and the Tigers had their homecoming victory and 2-0 district mark.
Johnson finished the night with 177 yards passing, completing 16 of 26 attempts with two touchdowns and one interception. He added another 104 yards rushing and a touchdown on a 15 attempts.
Barnes added nine yards rushing on eight carries and Bolton had three totes for two yards with one touchdown.
The top receiver for the Tigers was Lane with seven catches for 117 yards and a TD. McDaniel finished with three catches for 40
yards, Darian Turk had four catches for 14 yards and Barnes had two for six yards.
For Bridge City, Lemoine led the team with 11 of 20 pass attempts for 151 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Menard was 1 for 1 passing for 11 yards.
Menard was the big man on the ground for BC with 106 yards on 21 carries with two TDs. Lemoine had 13 carries for 21 yards and Dishon added 14 yards on three carries. Bertrand finished with one carry for a minus-18 yards rushing.
Dishon was the top receiver with four catches for 57 yards and a touchdown, while Menard caught four for 50 yards. Caleb Hyde had one catch for 28 yards and Luke Rhodes had three catches for 27 yards.
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