BRIDGE CITY —
Another big Orange County battle will highlight this week’s matchups as the Bridge City Cardinals welcome in the Vidor Pirates to Larry Ward Stadium.
Coach Cris Stump’s Cardinals have made the playoffs the past three seasons and will be looking for a school-record fourth straight trip later in the District 21-3A season.
Coach Jeff Mathews’ Pirates look to carry their momentum from last season and turn it into a second straight playoff berth after they went 10-3 last year and advanced to the third round of the playoffs.
However, both teams will continue to look to improve as they lock horns Friday night in non-district action.
The host Cardinals are coming off a tough 35-12 road loss to Newton. Newton just moved up to No. 3 in the latest Class 2A state poll.
The Pirates, meanwhile, notched a convincing 41-0 thumping of Santa Fe in the friendly confines of Pirate Stadium.
Against Newton, tailback Kruz Dearbonne led the Cardinal ground game with 96 yards on 19 carries.
Cardinal quarterback Daniel Faulk completed 6-of-11 passes for 76 yards, including a 14-yard touchdown strike to Keaton Langston.
The Cardinals allowed Newton 324 yards, 243 on the ground as the Eagles broke open the game with a 20-point second quarter.
Vidor easily “grounded” out Santa Fe, picking up 381 of its 396 total yards on the ground.
Fullback Justin Moore led the balanced ground arsenal with 142 yards and two TDs on just 10 carries. Geth Simmons had 64 yards and a TD on just five totes. Sage Smith had 63 yards on seven carries and Thomas Novak had 50 yards on five carries.
Defensively, the Pirates definitely put the shackles on the Indians, holding them to just 27 total yards, 11 on the ground and 16 in the air.
In last year’s meeting in Vidor, the Pirates walked away with a 21-6 rain-soaked victory.
Next week, the Cardinals will venture to Beaumont Kelly to take on the Bulldogs while the Pirates take a trip to the Houston area to take on Clear Brook.
