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Saturday
March 20, 2010 Since 1922 |
Sterling makes strides in final scrimmage
By Dave Rogers
It was an unexpected version of Home, Sweet Home for head coach Herb Minyard’s Rangers after wet fields at Dobie forced the decision early Thursday afternoon to move the controlled workout to Sterling’s Auxiliary Stadium.
Sweet because the Rangers were flat-out impressive.
Granted, it was against a Longhorn squad not expected to challenge Southlake Carroll’s statewide supremacy anytime soon. But Jerrod Doucet and Justin Neal and company sure looked better than they did in their first scrimmage against Port Neches-Groves.
“I saw a lot of improvement from last week and we did it on a short week of work, because of the rain we’ve had,” Minyard said. “Are we good enough to beat South Houston? I don’t know.”
The Rangers open their 2007 season Thursday when they host South Houston in a 7:30 p.m. game at Stallworth Stadium.
Doucet ran for a 97-yard touchdown during the one quarter of game-like conditions that closed the scrimmage.
His timing was as good or better than his sprinting.
It came one play after a Sterling’s defense had forced a turnover to deny Dobie a score after the Longhorns ran seven straight plays from inside the Ranger 15-yard line.
In all, defensive coordinator Chad Haynes’ Sterling stoppers forced four turnovers — two fumbles and two interceptions, one of which Justin Neal returned 42 yards for another score.
In all, Sterling scored three touchdowns — Neal had a 51-yard score on a pass from backup quarterback Keagan Kogut — and twice stopped the Longhorns in the red zone by causing and recovering fumbles.
Meanwhile, they lost only one turnover ( a fumble), and that was from the second-team offense. Dobie’s only score of the evening came on a 60-yard run after a missed tackle or two by the Rangers’ second-team defense.
“Jerrod showed his explosiveness running the football,” Minyard said. “I was pleased with our (pass) protection, and I thought we threw the ball and caught the ball well.
“I’m still not pleased with the way we’re running the football. I think you’ve got to run it as well as throw it. We’ve still got to work on it.
“Our defense made two goal-line stands that both resulted in fumbles, and our offense converted both times. All in all, it was a good night.”
After Dobie reached a first-and-goal at the Ranger 3, Sterling end Karam Hadidi and linebackers Lucas Ponce and Malcolm Zeno stoned the Longhorns on two runs up the middle. On third down, end Justin Hudson caused a fumble that Zeno pounced on.
Dobie’s other fumble came on a second down at the Ranger 15. Linebacker Rashaan Sanders stripped the ball loose and appeared to also recover it. Neal and Milton Collins prevented a Dobie touchdown when they chased down a running back after a 60-yard gain.
Offensively, Doucet hooked up on some nice passes to Terell Zeno and Keithen Collins. Running backs Milton Collins and Xavier Hebert had some nice runs and Kogut had a 17-yard gallop. Israel Rodriguez booted extra points.
It was an unexpected version of Home, Sweet Home for head coach Herb Minyard’s Rangers after wet fields at Dobie forced the decision early Thursday afternoon to move the controlled workout to Sterling’s Auxiliary Stadium.
Sweet because the Rangers were flat-out impressive.
Granted, it was against a Longhorn squad not expected to challenge Southlake Carroll’s statewide supremacy anytime soon. But Jerrod Doucet and Justin Neal and company sure looked better than they did in their first scrimmage against Port Neches-Groves.
“I saw a lot of improvement from last week and we did it on a short week of work, because of the rain we’ve had,” Minyard said. “Are we good enough to beat South Houston? I don’t know.”
The Rangers open their 2007 season Thursday when they host South Houston in a 7:30 p.m. game at Stallworth Stadium.
Doucet ran for a 97-yard touchdown during the one quarter of game-like conditions that closed the scrimmage.
His timing was as good or better than his sprinting.
It came one play after a Sterling’s defense had forced a turnover to deny Dobie a score after the Longhorns ran seven straight plays from inside the Ranger 15-yard line.
In all, defensive coordinator Chad Haynes’ Sterling stoppers forced four turnovers — two fumbles and two interceptions, one of which Justin Neal returned 42 yards for another score.
In all, Sterling scored three touchdowns — Neal had a 51-yard score on a pass from backup quarterback Keagan Kogut — and twice stopped the Longhorns in the red zone by causing and recovering fumbles.
Meanwhile, they lost only one turnover ( a fumble), and that was from the second-team offense. Dobie’s only score of the evening came on a 60-yard run after a missed tackle or two by the Rangers’ second-team defense.
“Jerrod showed his explosiveness running the football,” Minyard said. “I was pleased with our (pass) protection, and I thought we threw the ball and caught the ball well.
“I’m still not pleased with the way we’re running the football. I think you’ve got to run it as well as throw it. We’ve still got to work on it.
“Our defense made two goal-line stands that both resulted in fumbles, and our offense converted both times. All in all, it was a good night.”
After Dobie reached a first-and-goal at the Ranger 3, Sterling end Karam Hadidi and linebackers Lucas Ponce and Malcolm Zeno stoned the Longhorns on two runs up the middle. On third down, end Justin Hudson caused a fumble that Zeno pounced on.
Dobie’s other fumble came on a second down at the Ranger 15. Linebacker Rashaan Sanders stripped the ball loose and appeared to also recover it. Neal and Milton Collins prevented a Dobie touchdown when they chased down a running back after a 60-yard gain.
Offensively, Doucet hooked up on some nice passes to Terell Zeno and Keithen Collins. Running backs Milton Collins and Xavier Hebert had some nice runs and Kogut had a 17-yard gallop. Israel Rodriguez booted extra points.