Published August 30, 2008 01:53 am -
Hurricane Garrett blows by Ned, 33-13
By Tom Halliburton
The Port Arthur News
NEDERLAND — Those clever storm-namers forgot one Hurricane moniker right between Fay and Gustav. Nederland obviously was not prepared for Hurricane Garrett.
The devastation of West Orange-Stark’s new blustery wind roared through Nederland for 316 yards on 26 carries and four touchdowns Friday, as West Orange-Stark ripped through the arm-tackling Bulldogs, 33-13, at Bulldog Stadium.
Last year when Port Arthur News Super Team runner DePauldrick Garrett was the Mustangs’ lead running back, younger sibling Quintavious Garrett served as a complementary part in the WO-S attack.
The slashing 5-7, 185-pound senior produced a Mustangs’ single-game school record rushing performance, scoring on touchdown runs of 36, 29, 12 and 46 yards before nearly 9,000 in an anticipated season opener for both teams.
“They were getting on me (during the off-season) about my legs needing to get stronger,” Garrett said after his career rushing night of all nights. “I would just stay in practice and keep working hard every day.”
Garrett still looked fresh as a daisy at the start of the fourth quarter, even though he already had compiled a 239-yard night. The strangest part for Mustangs’ offensive coordinator Randy Crouch was that he had no idea Garrett would have that type of night.
“We didn’t know he was going to have that kind of night or that we were going to run the ball that much,” Crouch said. “But if you look back at our history, when we’ve had good teams we’ve been able to run the ball.”
Dan Hooks didn’t care about any of Quintavious Garrett’s history before Friday night. The WO-S coaching legend just liked what he observed in this season opener.
“Garrett was just outstanding,” Hooks said. “He was so hard to tackle. I’ve been on him for a long time but he ran the ball extremely well tonight.”
Nederland’s defense had allowed seven gains of 20 yards or more last week against Jasper. Crouch’s WO-S produced six snaps of 20 or more and Garrett delivered five of the six with nice escort work from right tackle Eric Arnold and right guard Kory Freeman.
WO-S kept the ball for 30:38 to Nederland’s puny 17:22. The Mustangs more than doubled the Dogs in first downs, 19-8, and total yards, 463-204.
“I’m not going to minimize that we played pretty good on both sides of the ball,” said Nederland’s Larry Neumann after his team absorbed its third straight regular-season setback of 20 points or more.
“I hate losing but I’m not ready to slit my wrists over this one,” he continued. “We had some opportunities, though, and you’ve got to be able to convert those opportunities.”
With Justin Krautz (knee), Ryan Brady (forearm), Grant Lovelady (neck) and Marcus Louvier (knee sprain during the game), the Nederlanders needed more healthy bodies and struggled to mount any sort of ground game.
Sixteen rushes for 13 total yards was partially Nederland’s anemic rushing attack as well as excellent defensive work by WO-S tacklers Kevin Robinson, linebacker Robert Jiles and tackle Josh Riggs.