One down
Dawgs face challenge this week with Navasota
By JIMMY GALVAN Managing Editor

Jasper will travel back to Humble's Turner Stadium this Friday, Nov. 23 to take on the Navasota Rattlers in a 7 p.m. kickoff in the regional round of the playoffs.

"We are only worrying about Navasota right now - nobody else," said Jasper Head Football Coach Thomas Brooks.

One key player for Navasota is junior running back Dexter Pratt, 6- 1, 230.

"He is the biggest running back I have seen in the last 10 years," Brooks said. "He's a tremendous running back and runs hard like WO-S's DePauldrick Garrett but not as good as Kirbyville's Pierce Rhodes."

Brooks said Navasota builds their offense around Pratt.

"They get in the I and give him the ball, they get in the shotgun and give him the ball but at the same time they have some good receivers they can throw to," Brooks said.

One key offensive receiver for Navasota will be Brandal Jackson, 6-1, 170, who caught six touchdowns last year.

Another key offensive component is quarterback Jacolby Stokes.

"He's very mobile and can throw the football," Brooks said.

Defensively, the Rattlers will get in a 4-2-5 formation and don't blitz much, according to Brooks.

"They have some good athletes on defense but their best ones are used on offense," Brooks said.

Navasota's Eugene Castillo leads the defensive squad into the contest.

Ideally, Jasper would like a repeat of last week's contest with Splendora. But Brooks knows thejump out-to-a-35-0 lead at halftime might not happen again this playoff season.

"I wish that would happen," Brooks laughed. "But it gets tougher and tougher every week. We have been in some tough and hard games and our kids know you have to play for 48 minutes.

"We came out against Splendora with the intention of playing a close ballgame," Brooks said. "It just happened that we opened up on them. It is always our intention to expect a hard fought ballgame."