Stingy defense anchors Bulldogs
Published 9:01 pm Thursday, October 19, 2017
By Chris Moore
Special to The News
Six games into the season, the Nederland Bulldogs’ offense has been impressive, but the anchor is the stout defense.
The Bulldog defense hasn’t allowed more than 21 points against an opponent all season, with both Vidor and Beaumont Central reaching the mark.
Central beat Nederland 21-17 in a nail-bitter on Friday at the Thomas Center. With a contest against Ozen next on the schedule, the Bulldogs hope the anchor continues to hold strong.
“We have leadership on that side of the ball,” Nederland head coach Monte Barrow said. “We probably have more leadership on that side of the ball than we do on the offensive side. I don’t worry about those guys as much, because I know one of those guys is going to step up and make a play that gets the rest of them going. Their communication out there is good because they’ve been together for more than just this year.”
Bulldog defensive coordinator Delbert Spell said he is pleased with the way his unit has played thus far and likes how his team swarms to and attacks the football.
“I think we have over 10 interceptions this season,” he said. “The turnover is a big stat in football. We stress that. Our kids are not the biggest, but they play with a lot of heart.”
The Bulldogs lead District 22-5A with 11 interceptions. Spell said he and his position coaches emphasize making plays on the ball when they have an opportunity. Defensive backs Noah Lewis and Landon Hiltz lead the team with five and four interceptions, respectively.
“We try to ingrain it in them as a habit,” Spell said. “It’s a combination of things. Everyone has to do their job. The first guy there has to be a good tackler to get a strip. It’s a team game. We’ve been able to get victories on some downs. We’ve been able to get a pass rush to force throws. Our kids break on the ball well. They read the quarterback’s eyes. Noah Lewis and Landon Hiltz have made some great interceptions.”
Spell said that even when his unit gets off to a slow start, he has confidence that they can pick it up.
“A lot of times we may start slow because we’re adjusting to game speed from practice. It’s hard to simulate. We don’t have anyone on our scout team that can simulate the speed of some of the teams that we’ve seen. Sometimes there is an adjustment period there where we’re adjusting to the speed of the game. Everyone we play is going to do something differently to try to attack our weaknesses. I think we’re doing a good job of adjusting.”