Dogs have winning chances

Bulldog Bites

by TOM PRECHT

The Jennings Bulldogs opened 4-AAA district play Friday night at Jerry Simmons Stadium on a festive night. The contest was the season opener for the number four Pioneers of Notre Dame of Crowley and the number nine-ranked Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs ran into a very good football team in the Dog Pound. Notre Dame was able to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Their defense held the Bulldogs offense in check. The Pios offense took advantage of great field position most of the night and made the Dogs pay as a result. Their first two scoring drives were on a short field. The drives were set up by a 60-yard kickoff return and a Jennings fumble. Notre Dame also kept Jennings backed up deep in their own territory and scored on a safety as a result.

The Maroon Wall knuckeled down in the second half. The Pioneers were able to put a touchdown on the board on their first offensive possession of the second half. The Maroon Wall kept them off the scoreboard the rest of the night despite having their backs to the wall.

The bottom line is the Dogs played hard all night and did not fold the tent and throw the towel in against a good football team. They will learn for it and continue to work hard. They’ll put the defeat behind them and get ready for the Westlake Rams Friday night. The Dogs were in this exact same position last year and ripped off four straight wins to finish the regular season. These Dogs can do the same thing if they continue to work hard, believe, and take it one game at a time. Good things come to those who work hard.

The half time was one of the most special ever put on. The legends of Jennings football, the 1939 and 1992 state champions, were recognized before the band and Jazzers took the field. It was a great to honor those who helped set the standard and tradition of Jennings Bulldogs football and those who helped add to the storied history of this great program. The 2012 edition of the Dogs will continue the winning tradition and make their own niche in the books, and winning Friday night will give them another notch in their belts.

The Dogs have a big game coming up, with former Bulldog player and assistant coach Shawn Demeritt taking the Rams by horns as their leader. Demeritt played on the 1992 state championship team and assisted Coach Rusty Phelps on the 1999 team that went undefeated during the regular season, one of only three Jennings teams to accomplish that feat. Demeritt replaced long time Westlake coach Max Caldarera this past Janurary. The Rams come into Jennings hoping to bump their record to 2-0 in district play and move their season mark to 5-1. The Bulldogs are looking to even their league mark at 1-1 and raise their overall mark to 5-2. Both teams will mirror one another on defense and will both be well coached and ready for action. The Rams will spread the field on offense and make the Dogs cover the whole field. The Dogs will utilize their veer offense and hope to control the ball with long drives and keep the wide open Ram offense next to their coach. The teams are evenly matched and the game could come down to a special teams play or as always, a turnover. Demeritt would like nothing more than to show his teacher he was a great student and lead his team to victory.

There have been some epic battles between these two foes. They first played one another in 1964 and played every year until 2009 when the Dogs moved up to class 4-A. They have been district rivals in every game and there have been some great ones for either team’s fans. Last year’s game was a shootout and the Dogs defended a two-point pass to slip away with a 41-40 win in a shootout. Back in 1967 and 1968, the Rams were led by future Arkansas and McNeese quarterback and future LSU quarterback Billy Broussard. Both games ended in ties at 7-7 and 0-0, back before overtime. You just never know what will happen when these two schools gather on the gridiron. It should be a good one. Come out and support the Bulldogs.

Jennings leads the series 26-17-3.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. in the Dog Pound. If you can’t make the game, it will be broadcast on KJEF 1290 AM and the web www.cajunradio.net . Airtime is 6:30 p.m.

Also, October is Breat Cancer Awareness Month. Early detection is the key. Sport pink to show your support for breast cancer.

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Posted by Graphic Designer 2 on Oct 10 2012. Filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.