NEDERLAND — Brotherhood within the program has often been cited as a reason for Nederland’s 6-0 start.

Every time Bryce McMorris has finished a game at quarterback, he’s simply filled the role of his stepbrother, third-year starter Blaysin Fernandez.

“It’s pretty cool knowing that one of us is always going to finish the game and lead the team to a win,” McMorris said. “Both of us know what we’ve got to do, and we do it.”

McMorris played most of the second half last Friday as Nederland (6-0, 3-0 in District 12-5A Division II) took care of Dayton at Bulldog Stadium. Unlike in each of the previous five games, it wasn’t out of necessity.

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Fernandez played his best game of the season, earning all three of his rushing touchdowns in the second quarter and totaling 231 yards of offense. With Nederland enjoying a healthy 35-0 lead and Fernandez avoiding injury for the first time in 2018, the senior got to step back and watch junior McMorris partake in a 49-20 homecoming win.

“We get to work out all the time,” Fernandez said. “It’s really fun having a little brother to work out with and just watching him grow as a person means a lot to me, just trying to lead him in the right path and show him the right ways. It’s surely a fun experience for me and something that’s going to make me grow as a person every day.”

Somewhere at Bulldog or another stadium, Fernandez’s father R.J. and Bryce’s mother Nicole take the experience all in each Friday. R.J. and Nicole Fernandez have been married two years, according to the quarterbacks, but Blaysin Fernandez and McMorris have known each other since grade school.

The experience might include a rollercoaster of parental emotions.

Blaysin, who has started every game this season, left the Barbers Hill game two weeks ago after a running back stepped on his foot on a handoff. Injuries to his shoulder and knee have kept him from finishing games as well.

Still, Fernandez has completed 25 of 46 passes for 363 yards and a touchdown with an interception on the year. He rushed nine times for 111 yards against Dayton.

“It was good knowing he was back to 100 percent running the ball and doing everything he’s supposed to do and not get hurt,” McMorris said.

Second-year Bulldogs head coach Monte Barrow said Fernandez is one of the toughest players he’s ever tutored.

“When he’s hurt, you know there’s something wrong,” Barrow said. “He’ll go in and play on one leg, if it’s possible.”

McMorris is just ahead of Fernandez in passing yards among 12-5A-II quarterbacks (397 yards on 27-of-49 passing with three touchdowns and three interceptions).

“It’s truly something I’ve got to step my game up for, knowing my stepbrother’s behind me,” Fernandez said. “There’s a lot of carryover from last year [when he led Nederland to an 8-3 record after missing the 2016 playoffs], a lot of things I’ve had to work on, a lot of things I’ve tried to improve as an athlete. It’s really something special knowing that I’m competing against my stepbrother and knowing I need to lead him and work with the team, but it’s something I’ll always remember growing up.”

For his part, McMorris has guided the Bulldogs to two game-winning drives this season. A go-ahead series highlighted by a 60-yard pass to Logan Nguyen late in the first half against Silsbee led to what would become the winning touchdown, and a drive against Barbers Hill resulted in a TD with 1:28 remaining in the game.

“It’s easy to say, ‘Hey, you’re one snap away from being in there,’ but for a young athlete to realize that and prepare for that moment is two different things,” Barrow said of McMorris. “He’s done that, and it’s shown in his performance when he’s had to go in.”

That’s where the real-life brotherhood and Bulldog brotherhood have paid off.

“We’re pretty close on and off,” McMorris said. “We help each other with what we do.”

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I.C. Murrell: 721-2435. Twitter: @ICMurrellPANews