Cats handcuff Jasper again
Kirbyville roars out to district opening victory
By JIMMY GALVAN Managing Editor

Newsboy photo/Georgia Purdy JASPER'S CAMERON STUBBLEFIELD releases the ball under the pressure of Kirbyville's Stafan Jackson. Stubblefield was hurt midway through the second quarter and had to leave the contest. He is questionable for this week's contest on the road in Orangefield.

Since 1946, Jasper has held an 18-2 winning advantage over Kirbyville. But in 2002, Jack Alvarez took over the reins of the Kirbyville football program and a district realignment pitted Kirbyville and Jasper back together again.

Since then, Kirbyville has claimed three victories over the Bulldogs include the last two years. Kirbyville took care of business last Friday night at The Bone Yard as Pierce Rhodes scored three times to lead the Wildcats to a 21-6 victory over Jasper.

"It was a tough loss for us," said Jasper Head Football Coach Thomas Brooks. "It seemed like every time good happened, something bad would happen. I was real proud of the kids' effort.

"It was very frustrating because that makes two losses in a row," Brooks said. "There's a reason why Kirbyville is picked to win the district and they have been through the wars of the playoffs. They were poised and they handled a big ballgame very well. It was not like we lost to a team that wasn't good."

Newsboy photo/Georgia Purdy JASPER'S DANTE ROLLINS wraps up Kirbyville quarterback Aaron Hazelwood during the second half of the Wildcats 21-6 victory over Jasper. Hazelwood threw a touchdown pass during the District 21-3A opener

"It was a good win for our kids and our community," said Kirbyville Head Football Coach Jack Alvarez. "It was a good atmosphere for a football game.

"I thought Jasper had an advantage in getting ready for us for two weeks and they did a good job of stopping us," Alvarez said. "I was proud of our kids being patient and taking what they gave us inside. We stuck with our game plan and won the game."

It wasn't a pretty game by no stretch of the imagination.

Kirbyville was penalized 14 times for 130 yards and a turnover while Jasper's offense sputter all night long and included starting quarterback Cameron Stubblefield exiting the game with an ankle injury midway through the second quarter.

Rhodes came into the contest fresh off a threetouchdown performance against Liberty and quickly took up where he left off. Early on, Jasper's defensive squad came out inspired as they stopped the vaunted Kirbyville backfield attack.

But Jasper learned you couldn't hold down the talented senior running back all night long.

After a 10-yard punt by Jasper's Derrick Day, Kirbyville set up shop at the Jasper 33 yard line midway through the first quarter. A run by Rhodes and junior running back Broderick Jackson moved the ball to the Jasper 14.

Rhodes finished off the drive a play later when he scampered in from 14 yards out to score with 4:55 left in the first quarter. With the PAT good, Kirbyville grabbed a quick 7-0 lead.

Offensively, Jasper could find its mark most of the night. Kirbyville kept pressure in the backfield most of the night to foil any type of running attack for the Bulldogs. A great run by sophomore Kadaroe Rawls gave Jasper its initial first down at the Kirbyville 44 with 3:57 left in the first quarter.

But the drive ended a play later when Rawls and Stubblefield misfired on a handoff attempt and Rhodes was the man on the spot for the Wildcats as he pounced on the loose ball for the turnover at the Jasper 46.

"I thought our defense played its game of the year," Alvarez said.

Brooks said that after watching the film on the contest, the Dawgs were just one block away from breaking runs all night long.

"But it takes everybody and that one block kept us from moving forward," Brooks said. "

The Wildcats made Jasper pay for the turnover as Kirbyville used the running of Rhodes and a key thirddown connection from Hazelwood-to-Rhodes for a first down at the Jasper 24 to keep the drive alive. Jasper's defense stepped up and limited the Wildcats to just two yards on the next two plays but Hazelwood got loose down the right sideline and scrambled to the Jasper eight and a first down to keep the drive going.

As the first quarter ended, Rhodes carried the ball down to the Jasper 2 and then capped off the drive on the first play of the second quarter by scoring from two yards out. The score, with a PAT good, gave Kirbyville a 14-0 lead.

Both offenses stalled in the second quarter and Jasper remained at one first down on the night before tallying their second first down midway through the second quarter. Stubblefield connected the sophomore Dominique Bailey for a pass play down to the Kirbyville 24 and Jasper appeared ready to get back into the contest.

But as Bailey cut away from a Kirbyville defender, a needless block in the back was committed by a Jasper player to push the Dawgs back to the Kirbyville 49- yard line.

Two plays later, Stubblefield was injured as he scrambled away from a Kirbyville rush and junior Timoti Cauley was forced into action for the Dawgs for the first time this season at quarterback.

Kirbyville's offense was again held to a three and out by Jasper defense and Cauley directed the Dawgs back down the field again. A nice 19-yard run by Cauley moved the chains and pushed Jasper into Kirbyville's territory at the 49-yard line. On the next play, Kirbyville found senior Malcolm Bronson streaking on a post play and the pass appeared on the mark until Kirbyville's Joey Alfred tackled Bronson before the pass reached him for an obvious pass interference penalty. The penalty gave Jasper 15 yards and more importantly for the Wildcats, kept the Dawgs off the board.

Cauley then connected with Bailey for a nine-yard gain to the Wildcat 25 before the drive completely stalled out. Two runs by Kendrick Fowler and Cauley netted zero yards and Kirbyville's defense again kept the Bulldogs from reaching the scoreboard.

The score remained 14-0 at the half before Kirbyville appeared ready to pad their lead with a time-consuming drive in the third quarter. The drive reached the Jasper 17 before Hazelwood was intercepted by Jasper Ryan Bronson on an ill-advised pass at the Jasper six-yard line. Hazelwood was being pressured by Jasper's Dante Rollins on the play.

After Jasper's offense went three and out, Kirbyville took advantage of blocked punt to light up the scoreboard once again. Kirbyville didn't block a punt, Jasper did but the Wildcats' Josh Hughey picked up the ball once it passed the line of scrimmage and scampered all the way to the Jasper 30 for a first down.

"Our defense held them, we blocked the punt and it bounces out to one of their fast guys and he advances it for a first down for them," Brooks said.

Because Hughey picked up the ball behind the line of scrimmage, he was allowed to advance the blocked punt for a first down.

Four plays later, Hazelwood lofted a pass to a left alone Rhodes on the left sideline and let the talented tailback do the rest. Rhodes maneuvered his way around Jasper's defenders to score from 36 yards out with 7:28 left in the fourth quarter.

"That was a good job by their quarterback to recognize the play and he did what a lot of other quarterbacks wouldn't have done," Brooks said.

Jasper averted the shutout when Cauley connected with Malcolm Bronson on a 26-yard touchdown pass with 2:01 left in the fourth quarter. After the PAT by Zach Riggins failed, Kirbyville held on to a 21-6 lead.

"You can see it getting better but you just want the wins," Brooks said. "It's tough especially when you feel you are capable. You see the good things but you still want the victory.

DAWG NOTES: Stubblefield is listed as dayto day with his ankle injury. Brooks said the junior quarterback is unable to run during practice right now and will be game-time decision against Orangefield.

If he doesn't play, Cauley will step in again at quarterback.