OlDawg

It has become a common practice for the past couple of years. The Captains started the ritual to get everyone to refocus.

Y’all would have to win out & LP would have to lose two games for PAM to get title and #1 seed. No tiebreak will help you as you lose the head-to-head with La Porte, and BU has already lost a game. If the Dawgs were to only lose one game, it would have to be to BU, and BU would have to win out, for LP to not be DC & #1 seed. That would still put PAM at #3 seed. Y’all need to win out to hold #2. Y’all’s game against BU is BIG. If the Dawgs take care of business and win out, it’s over, and LP will win their 4th consecutive District Championship with 25 straight district wins between 2 different districts.

Stats at the bottom of the post. [Hidden Content] Before kickoff, the night was already special. Coach Forrest Wiegand was honored with his Greater Houston Football Coaches Association Hall of Honor ring. La Porte’s hometown heroes carried a massive American flag onto the field, and the LPHS Choir delivered another breathtaking National Anthem. The pageantry set the stage, but the moment the ball was kicked, you could feel that tonight was different. Winning the toss, the Bulldogs deferred to the second half, trusting their defense to make an early statement. And they delivered immediately, forcing a fumble on Port Arthur Memorial’s second play from scrimmage. One play later, the offensive line opened a huge hole, allowing Sean Simon to burst 35 yards to the house. Just 30 seconds into the game, La Porte hit the board first! The energy inside Bulldog Stadium was electric, but facing the #4 team in Texas meant a hard-fought battle was guaranteed. On the very next drive, Titan power back Piere Gray found the right edge, sprinting 70 yards down the sideline for a touchdown to tie it up 7-7 before a full minute had elapsed. Port Arthur came in boasting one of the top defenses in the state, allowing under 9 points per contest. But it was the Bulldogs' bend-don’t-break defense that turned the tide, repeatedly forcing field goals while the La Porte offense finished drives with touchdowns to take a 24-20 lead into halftime. And at halftime, there was no letdown there either! The Titan Marching Heat, Marching Flames, Chatos, and Mighty Bulldog Band kept the stadium pulsing with energy. The second half brought immediate adversity. The Bulldogs went three-and-out on their opening drive, and Port Arthur seized the momentum, taking their first lead of the night and demonstrating why they are ranked among the state's elite. After another stalled offensive drive, La Porte faced a defining crossroads. Punched in the mouth, how would they respond? Great teams answer the bell, and that’s exactly what these Bulldogs did. Taking full accountability, the players rallied to win play after play. Sean Simon ran with pure determination, setting the physical tone behind a dominant offensive line. Josh Wells displayed remarkable poise and growth under center, guiding the offense with confidence. On the outside, Smith and Wallace executed crucial blocks and kept the secondary occupied, while Reynolds came up big when his number was called, but his priority was neutralizing key defensive threats, and he did! "KD" Dieudonne provided explosive runs to keep the Titans honest, while Francisco Guzman and Tim Giddens anchored the line with the heart, grit, and leadership their former Trench Bullies would be proud of. Defensively, holding a team with Port Arthur's caliber and athleticism to just two breakaway touchdowns showed tremendous growth. Titan stud Brandon Richards has the kickoff return for a touchdown, but the Bulldogs did a great job of minimizing his impact offensively. The communication, scheme execution, and relentless "Dawg" mentality were fully present. You could hear and feel the collisions in the press box, and it was obvious La Porte wanted to set the tone. Paired with an offense averaging nearly 52 points per game in district play, this team proved it has all the ingredients for a deep playoff run. This victory was another major milestone checked off, bringing the program one step closer to its ultimate goals. As Coach Berneathy and his staff continually preach: when you focus on what you can control and win the single play in front of you, the results will follow. Overcoming tonight's trial embodied Coach Berneathy’s core belief, "Tough times create tough men, tough men create good times." Make no mistake: these Bulldogs are tough, resilient, and growing stronger every week. While this statement win carries huge momentum, the job is far from finished. The schedule now shows we went 1-0 for week 7. That is how it is supposed to be. You don't get bonus points because of the rankings. Our focus is to be 1-0 at the end of every week regardless of opponent. The Bulldogs now turn their attention to another proud and formidable opponent, Baytown Sterling, as the journey continues. Last night was what Texas High School Football is supposed to look like under the Friday night lights. Fierce competition, great bands, drill teams, cheerleaders, and proud communities showing up in support for the kids, and to enjoy fellowship with neighbors and friends. The awesome thing is we get to do it again next week as Bulldog Nation heads to Baytown’s Stallworth Stadium to take on the Rangers. Until then, enjoy this great weather, stay healthy, stay safe, enjoy your weekend and be ready to take this show on the road next week! Go Dawgs. Offensive Stats: 493 Total yards 378 Rushing on 45 Carries Sean Simon - 284 yards, 5 TD's Dieudonne TD's - 2 Rushing Smith TD's - 29 yard Reception Wells - 9/13/116, 0 INT

Simon isn't ranked the #5 RB in the country for no reason. Add the Soph Dieudonne--who is coming into his own as a 'banger'--and it's a stout rushing attack. Plus, Wells (QB) doesn't make many mistakes with the ball. He's a talent as well. I'm VERY pleased with the OL. It's been patchwork since early game 1. The only young man playing OL now that started the season is the TE Reynolds. Y'all actually covered him pretty well last night. I think he only had one catch for a big first down on a scramble by Wells.

Something still tells me this is gonna be a mess. Exciting. But, a mess!

Right now, La Porte is still on track to win their 4th consecutive District Championship. 2023: 9-5AD1 2024: 11-5AD1 2025: 11-5AD1 2026: ??? La Porte's last loss in district play came on Oct. 6, 2023 in a come-from-behind win by PAM in Port Arthur in Berneathy's 2nd year. Injuries are beginning to pile up and really test the Dawgs' depth. Next man up...

May want to check on a 4-way as well. That’s still not totally out of the question.

😂 Looking at some of the other scores, it may be one of the few I got this week.

This one didn’t age well 2troll. 🤣

LP still needs to work on not giving up explosive plays. But, they’re getting better each week. Losing our nose may hurt. Never like seeing the cart. Hopefully, it was just a precaution, and he won’t miss much time.

Y’all will be fine. You have a very good team.

I wonder if I’m the only person who got this pickem?

LP met their O average. How did y’all do on your papg average of 9 points? 😜

Simon!

Y’all finally ran into an offense that was decent.