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2009 Roster Available (.pdf) - See downloads at the bottom of the page for attachment
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Nov 10-09
Same finish, new feeling for Navarro
Bobeck says No. 1 Bulldogs are a better team than ‘08 squad that Blinn upset
By Rob Ludwig
Forget the eerily similar circumstances that bring Blinn and Navarro together again on Sunday for the SWJCFC postseason championship.
Navarro Coach Nick Bobeck says his team is much different than the one that defeated the Bucs in the regular season and then was trounced 41-24 in the SWJCFC finals in 2008.
“To me, this team is different because it is a better football team in many, many ways,” said Bobeck, whose No. 1-ranked team hosts 9-1 Blinn at 3 p.m. in Tiger Stadium. “We have been really good on defense and when we don’t turn the ball over we are a good offensive team. “
The Bulldogs enter this year’s title game with a 10-0 record after clipping Blinn two weeks ago 24-21 and then fending off Kilgore in the conference semifinals, 24-10.
When the Bulldogs have not committed turnovers, they do enjoy grand success on offense. In the first meeting with Blinn, the Bulldogs fumbled twice inside the 10 and another time inside the 30. After linebacker Reggie Dunigan intercepted Cam Newton and returned it to the Blinn 7, running back DePauldrick Garrett fumbled on the next play.
“Kids have hiccups,” Bobeck said. “DePauldrick had not fumbled in eight games and then did it twice inside the 10. (Wide receiver) Marcus Jackson dropped two balls that would have gone for touchdowns and he had not dropped a ball all season.
“Those are mistakes the kids normally don’t make and I don’t expect them to make them this week. They have been dependable and we will lean on them again.”
Garrett had to take the running load last week when Navarro leading rusher Derrick Hall sat out the game with a tweaked hamstring. The redshirt freshman rushed for 181 yards and 2 touchdowns on a season-high 31 carries as the Bulldogs scored 24 unanswered points and eased into the championship game.
Hall is expected ball this week, which is great news for Navarro. Hall gained a game-high 167 yards against Blinn in the first matchup.
While minimizing mistakes on offense is a priority, keeping the clamps on Blinn’s dangerous Newton will be the difference in whether the Bulldogs will have an opportunity to play for their first national championship since 1989.
In Navarro’s 23-20 at Tiger Stadium on Oct. 31, Newton has harassed and battered by the Bulldogs’ persistent pass rush. The Florida transfer was sacked twice and hit after he threw the ball countless additional times. Newton left the game briefly, but returned to lead the Bucs to two late touchdowns, narrowing Navarro’s big lead to a one-possession game.
Newton finished 19 of 40 for 258 yards and two interceptions, doubling his total for the season. Playing with a limp in a 21-15 win over Tyler last week, Newton completed 14 of 28 passes for 160 yards. He scored the go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth period and tacked on a two-point conversion run.
Blinn often ran the ball out of a two-tight end, two-running back set, but Bobeck warns that he expects the Bucs to maintain their highflying ways through the air.
“We’re going into this one thinking he’s going to be 100 percent healthy,” Bobeck said of Newton. “You could tell he was hurting the other day against Tyler, but he made plays when they needed them. He’s a tough kid and a great football player.
“If (Blinn) wants to go with the heavy front, we’re prepared for them running the ball with Hayes, who is a very good running back. But we fully intend to have to defend the pass. We’ve got to change things up and mix up our coverages. Their receivers are a very good, very fast group who rely on great timing. If we let (Newton) sit back there, the receivers are going to find the open spots in the zone and he’s going to pick us apart. That’s why we have to have great coverage and get a good push up front.”
Bobeck is not concerned with the physical side of the game, but he hopes the Bulldogs remember well last year’s championship debacle that cost them a national title shot.
“We are a better team than we were when we played Blinn last year at this time,” Bobeck said. “The kids know that, but they remember the awful feeling they had after that game. We are confident in who we are.
“The kids are going to be keyed up and read to go on Sunday. Whether we execute and do things the correct way is what will win the game. I think how much attention they are paying to details already this week shows they have the drive and confidence to win.”
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NJCAA Top 10
The NJCAA Top 10 National Poll as of Nov. 11:
1.Navarro (10-0)
2. Fort Scott, Kan. (10-0)
3. Blinn (9-1)
4. Snow, Utah (9-1)
5. Grand Rapids, Mich. (10-0)
6. East Mississippi (10-1) 
7. Butler (Kan.) (8-2)
7 Arizona Western (8-1)
9. Miss. Gulf Coast (9-2)
10. Central Lakes (10-1)
Nov 5-09
Navarro can’t take Kilgore for granted
No. 1 Bulldogs to face a resurgent Rangers squad in SWJCFC semifinal game
By Rob Ludwig
Forty-five minutes after Kilgore’s 42-17 loss to Navarro in September, its players were grouped by position across R.E. St. John Stadium.
Some were on one knee, others had helmets in hand and their heads down. In the middle of each group was a very animated coach.
A week later, the Rangers played better but lost to then-No. 1 ranked Blinn, 31-21. Then a quarterback change and defensive alterations began to kick in and Kilgore won four of its last five to secure the final Southwest Junior College Football Conference playoff position.
Is the Rangers’ resurgence enough to upset No. 1 Navarro on Saturday at Tiger Stadium in the SWJCFC semifinals?
Navarro Coach is impressed by Kilgore’s newfound winning ways, yet he’s confident his Bulldogs can move to 10-0.
“Kilgore has got some confidence about them now,” Bobeck said. “They feel good about themselves by winning four of the last five. You can tell they have some confidence in what they are doing.”
After the sluggish four-game start in which it was outscored by an average of more than 14 points per game, Kilgore has been explosive on offense and deadly in defense. The offense is averaging 39.9 points in the last five contests and is yielding only 22 points per outing.
The most impressive improvement is on the offensive side, where Hans Cook took over the starting quarterback job five weeks ago and has engineered the Rangers to 415.4 yards per game, up more than 100 yards than the first four starts.
Cook is an adept runner (437 yards, two TDs rushing) and efficient passer (70.3 percent completions, 673 yards, six TDs).
“He’s a powerful, tough kid who they use quite effectively running the ball,” Bobeck said.
“(Coach J.J.) Eckert is good at finding a weakness and attacking it. They will throw out a lot of formations and will pull a lot of tricks out on you if you are not lined up properly. You’d better be prepared against them or they can score with big plays.”
Navarro had its share of big plays in last week’s 23-20 showdown win over top-ranked Blinn. Navarro’s offense was led the whole way by quarterback Roddy Green, who completed less than 50 percent of his passes but did throw two touchdown passes. Expect Green to start again this week, but Brant Costilla will be ready if he falters.
“We knew going in that we were going to trot out Roddy and we’re going to stay with him,” Bobeck said. “If he didn’t have the drops by receivers, then he could have thrown for 300 yards and a couple of more touchdowns. When we had breakdowns in our protection, Roddy got us out of some trouble with his feet.
“We’re going to be better prepared for Kilgore’s defense this time, but we’ll be doing it without (injured) Milton (Howell), which is going to alter how we go about things on offense. We cannot put our young quarterbacks in the same position we put Milton in simply because they don’t have the experience. But we’re going to put them in a position to excel.”
Bobeck is somewhat concerned about a Blinn hangover, but he said he believes his team has the proper focus entering the postseason.
“When there have been so many expectations on the kids and it culminated in the top two teams in the nation, you have to be a little worried they won’t keep that focus,” he said. “But for the next two weeks, we’re going to be playing teams we’ve beaten already this season and they are going to have confidence.
“Kilgore has gained confidence this season and you have to give a lot of credit to J.J. and his staff for getting their team winning big games. But we’ve been winning big games all this season. I think we’re going to be ready to go Saturday afternoon. This is the biggest time of the year and our kids know it.”
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NJCAA Top 10
The NJCAA Top 10 National Poll as of Nov. 4:
1.Navarro (9-0)
2. Fort Scott (Kan.) (9-0)
3. Mississippi Gulf Coast (9-1)
4. Blinn (8-1)
5. Snow (Utah) College (9-1)
6. Grand Rapids (Mich.) (9-0) 
7. East Mississippi (9-1)
8. Butler (Kan. (7-2)
9. Arizona Western (7-1)
10. Rochester (Minn.) (10-0)
Nov 1-09
No. 2 Navarro vs. No. 1 Blinn: Back on top
Bulldogs drill top-ranked Bucs to reclaim poll’s top spot
Rob Ludwig
If much of athletics is built around muscle memory, then Cam Newton’s muscles are going to remember Navarro College’s defensive line for a while.
Navarro’s harassing defensive front caused the usually accurate Blinn quarterback into a slew of incompletions and doubled his interception total for the year as the No. 2 Bulldogs knocked off the top-ranked Bucs, 23-20, on Saturday at Tiger Stadium in the regular season finale.
The Bulldogs (9-0 overall, 6-0 in the SWJCFC) will now have homefield advantage throughout the conference postseason, starting with next Saturday’s 3 p.m. contest against Kilgore, which earned a playoff berth with a win over Cisco.
Navarro will enter the postseason as the No. 1 team in the nation for the second year in a row after scoring on its first two possessions and then holding on in the final minutes in an eerily similar finish to last year’s 24-21 win in Brenham. Navarro had a 21-0 lead in that game before fending off the Bucs. This time, the Bulldogs led 23-7 early in the fourth quarter and had to withstand a Blinn rally in the last nine minutes of the game.
“The kids remembered what happened last year not just in the regular season, but also how they lost to Blinn in the championship game on this field,” said Navarro Coach Nick Bobeck, who is now 19-1 in two seasons. “They have a chip on their shoulder and they are focused on the goal of winning a national championship.”
The Bulldogs took a big step in that direction on Saturday, using a stiff pass rush to force Newton into mistakes. A 68 percent passer entering the game, Newton was sacked three times, picked off twice and hit countless times as he released passes. Newton was 19 of 40 for 258 yards and two touchdowns, but he also fumbled twice and misfired on five of his final six attempts.
Navarro appeared in complete control of the game after quarterback Roddy Green found J.J. Hayes on a 13-yard fade for a touchdown on the second play of the fourth period for a 16-point lead.
Newton responded with a 22-yard scoring toss to Darrin Moore and then a 16-yarder to Jarod Jarozewski with 5:39 left to close the gap to 23-20.
Navarro’s offense, which compiled 504 total yards, had a three straight three-and-outs during that span, but their defensive compatriots picked them up. Linebacker Reggie Dunigan intercepted Newton near midfield and the Bulldogs forced four straight incompletions on Blinn’s final series.
Running back Derrick Hall paced Navarro’s offense with 169 yards on 17 carries and a touchdown. Green, who took every snap for the first time this season, completed 15 of 31 passes for 175 yards and two scores and gained 68 yards on the ground.
Blinn’s defense had allowed only 696 yards on the ground entering the game, but yielded 329 yards to Navarro.
“(Garrett) and I are slip and slide out there,” Hall said. “He slips tackles inside and I slide outside. Our offensive line was sliding its feet and making things happen for our running game.”
Navarro’s point total could have been much larger, but DePauldrick Garrett (92 yards, 19 carries) fumbled twice inside the 10 and receiver Marcus Jackson dropped two perfectly place Green passes in the end zone.
“We left a lot of points on the field,” Bobeck said. “It was a good thing our defense was playing as well as it did.”
Navarro struck twice in the first six minutes of the game for a 14-0 lead, taking advantage of Hall’s legs and a rare Blinn turnover.
Navarro marched 73 yards on only six plays on its initial drive of the game, with Hall rambling 51 yards through the heart of Blinn’s defense for a 51-yard score.
Newton fumbled while scrambling on Blinn’s ensuring possession and safety Dominic Maddox pounced on it at the Navarro 28.
Navarro needed 10 plays to cover the distance for a 14-point advantage. Green, who completed 9 of 18 passes for 115 yards in the first half, found Jahmai Coleman on a skinny post route through the heart of Blinn’s cover two secondary for 24 yards and his seventh TD pass of the year.
Newton and Hayes had their moments in the first half. Newton completed 9 of 16 passes for 95 yards and ran for 62 yards, and Hayes added 54 yards rushing.
Blinn running back Michael Hayes scored on a 1-yard run with 3:23 to go in the first period, cutting Navarro’s lead in half.
Blinn drove to the Navarro 20 on its next drive, but Newton misfired on two straight passes and Billy Greer’s 42-yard field goal clanged off the left upright.
Navarro had two more chances to score in the second quarter, receiving a 23-yard field goal from Juve Sanchez, but then fumbled away an opportunity inside the Blinn 10.
Defensive end Brandon Joiner accounted for two of the sacks and he planted Newton on the Tiger Stadium turf with regularity.
“We knew we had to put pressure on the quarterback the entire game and (Newton) hasn’t been hit very often this season,” Bobeck said. “When a quarterback is hit that much, it’s going to effect his passing.”
And on Sunday morning, it will likely affect the rest of his body.
Navarro 23, Blinn 20
Blinn 7 0 0 13 — 20
Navarro 14 3 0 6 — 23
N — Derrick Hall 51 run (Juve Sanchez kick)
N — Jahmai Coleman 24 pass from Roddy Green (Sanchez kick)
B — Mike Hayes 1 run (Billy Greer kick)
N — Sanchez 23 FG
N — J.J. Hayes 13 pass from Green (kick blocked)
B — Darrin Moore 13 pass from Cam Newton (passed failed)
B — Jared Jarozewski 20 pass from Newton (Greer kick)
NC B
22 First downs 21
50-329 Rushes-yards 34-162
175 Passing yards 258
504 Total yards 420
15-31-0 Passing 19-40-2
4-39 Total punting 4-38
11-120 Penalties 13-135
2-2 Fumbles-lost 2-2
INDIVIDUALS
Rushing: Navarro — Derrick Hall 17-169, DePauldrick Garrett 19-92, Roddy Green 14-68). Blinn — Mike Hayes 21-90, Cameron Newton 13-72.
Passing: Navarro —Green 15-31-0-175. Blinn — Newton 19-40—2-258
Receiving: Navarro — J.J .Hayes 5-46, Josh Powdrill 3-57, DaQualon Evans 1-6, Jahmai Coleman 3-46, Marcus Jackson 1-10, Kalen Jenkins 1-5, Garrett 1-5. Blinn — Hayes 4-37, Bola Ominsanya 2-17, Grant Merritt 2-37, Darrin Moore 6-60, Chad Froechtnenicht 1-30, Sean Rutherford 3-21, Jarod Jarozewski 2-26
Blinn at Navarro
3 p.m., Saturday
at Tiger Stadium
RADIO: 106.9 The Ranch, 2:45 pm.
RECORDS: No. 2 Navarro (8-0, 5-0) vs. No. 1 Blinn (8-0, 5-0)
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Blinn: QB Cam Newton, WR Grant Merritt, RB Mike Hayes, QB-WR Sean Rutherford, WR Chad Froechtenicht, WR Bola Ominsanya, WR Darrin Moore, DE Logan Johnson, DB Justin Sorrell, DB Justin Goodman, LB Princeton Jackson, DE Brian Ford, DE Anthony Gonzales. Navarro: RB Derrick Hall, OL Robert Griffin, DE Brandon Joiner, QB Roddy Green, QB Brant Costilla, DB Saheed Imoru, LB Justin Clark, S Trevor Drayton, LB Reggie Dunigan, WR J.J. Hayes, DL Justin Williams.
KEY STATISTIC: Turnovers will be a key in the contest. Navarro committed only six turnovers the first six weeks, but then had seven turnovers in the last two games.
UPDATE: Blinn leads the nation in total offense with 520.9 yards per game. The Bucs are second to Navarro in the conference in defense with 304.1 yards per game . . . RB Hayes is a dual threat, having rushing for 719 yards and 11 TDs and catching 24 passes and 1 TD this season . . . The biggest threat is Newton, who has rushed for 496 yards and 12 scores and has a conference-high 2,066 yards passing and has 20 TDs compared to only 2 interceptions. Newton is completing 66.3 percent of his passes . . . The Bucs’ defense is paced by DE Johnson (11.5 sacks) and DE Gonzales (7.5 sacks) . . . Newton’s importance to Blinn’s offense is symbolized by the Bucs’ slow start at NEO three weeks ago. With Newton sitting out the first quarter because of a discipline issue, Blinn fell behind 14-0 to the Golden Norse. Newton entered the game in the second period and promptly accounted for 6 scores as the Bucs rallied for a 55-42 victory . . . Newton also passed for 6 TDs against Tyler, compiling 564 yards total offense . . . Navarro may have found a new weapon in WR Joe Jones, who caught 6 passes for 100 yards and 2 TDs in last week’s 24-6 win over Arkansas Baptist . . . The Bulldogs will continue to employ the platoon system at quarterback with Costilla and Green. Costilla is completing 64.8 percent of his passes for 606 yards and 6 TDs and Green has 6 TDs in only 38 attempts . . . Navarro’s defense has been most effective in the first and third periods this season. The Bulldogs have allowed only 13 points in the first quarter and 14 in the third . . . LB Graham leads the team with 74 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 3 caused fumbles and is tied for the team lead with 3 interceptions and pass breakups.
Oct 30-09
Daily Sun photo/Raymond Linex II
Celebrating a Champion: Big ’Dogs
Navarro’s 1989 national title team was built on the recruiting trail
By Todd Wills
Navarro’s 1989 national championship season didn’t start on the practice field. It didn’t start in the film room. It didn’t start at the Bulldogs’ first team meeting.
It started with Bob McElroy sitting in his Navarro College office at all hours of the day and night, assistant coaches along with him, answering phone calls about prospective players.
Keo Coleman from Milwaukee, Wis.
Charles Thompson from Monahans.
Mark Wheeler from San Marcos.
Keith Moore and Orlando Williams from Corsicana.
Pat Williams from Dallas Hillcrest. Nate Williams from Houston Washington. Hunkie Cooper from Palestine.
And on and on and on.
Championship college football teams are built at any level by recruiting top players and coaching them up, and the 1989 Bulldogs were no different.
“It was a different game back then,” said Orlando Williams, who played defensive back for his hometown college. “We could throw it if we had to, but we would basically line up and run right at you. And we could play defense.”
The Bulldogs allowed 56 points all season.
They threw four shutouts.
They led the Texas Junior College Football Conference in total offense and defense.
They had conference leaders in punt returns, punts and interceptions.
To be that complete of a team, it takes great players.
And McElroy has a story for every one of them.
Oct 21-09
Navarro trying to focus on Arkansas Baptist
Bulldogs can’t afford a letdown before big game against Blinn
By Rob Ludwig
Special to the Daily Sun
Focus is the watchword around the Navarro College campus this week.
There are many reasons why the No. 2-ranked Bulldogs could lose focus this week. First, there’s the five-hour trip to Little Rock. Then there’s the five-day turnaround after their last game. And, of course, there’s that showdown looming with No. 1 Blinn 10 days away.
But Navarro coach Nick Bobeck got his team’s attention very quickly after its lackluster performance at Cisco last Saturday. Although the Bulldogs won 31-8 to improve to 7-0 overall, they had a season-high four turnovers (three in the red zone) and seemingly could never shake a pesky one-win Cisco club.
“As bad as we played last week, we’d better not be complacent,” Bobeck said. “The coaches have reminded them of how they played a whole lot since the other night. Fortunately, there’s not a whole lot of time to think about anything else but this week’s game. We’d better keep that focus.”
Navarro will play its final non-conference game against 2-6 Arkansas Baptist at 7 p.m. on Thursday at War Memorial Stadium, sometimes home of the University of Arkansas.
Arkansas Baptist is in its third year of play and has posted victories against Highland, Kan. and Dakota College of Bottineau and has lost to former Southwest Junior College Football Conference foes Blinn, Kilgore and Northeastern Oklahoma (twice).
The Buffaloes are paced by quarterback Terrall Robinson, who has eight touchdowns and 790 yards through the air this season. ABC is averaging 246.4 yards per game on offense and is yielding a modest 350 yards on defense.
“Defensively, they blitz about every play and run cover one behind it,” Bobeck said. “They are committed to stopping the run, shooting people through the gaps all the time.”
The Buffaloes are also taking to the air more this season, with more than three times passing yards than on the ground.
That should be good practice for Blinn, the conference’s most advanced passing team. Navarro will hope to kickstart a pass rush that has only three sacks the last three weeks. Fortunately, defensive end Toby Jackson is back after a neck injury. Defensive tackle Justin Williams (high ankle sprain) is still a week away from seeing the field.
“We wanted to stop the run against Cisco last week and we did an effective job, but we still need to get consistent pressure on the quarterback,” said Bobeck. “We’d rather get the (quarterback) on the ground, but teams have been throwing quick passes the last few weeks and we haven’t had a lot of opportunity. It’s going to be hard for people to keep throwing hitch passes over and over again without taking a shot a little further downfield.
“We’ve rarely been beaten deep this season. We’ve been good in the secondary, but we still need to get a good pass rush because that will force bad decisions and poor passes. When we do, that’s when we’ve been getting interceptions.”
Interceptions were a sore point for Bobeck last week. Quarterback Brant Costilla was picked off for the first two times this season and also fumbled twice. The Bulldogs turned over the ball three times inside the Cisco 30, turning a potential 50-point outing into a season-low 31 points.
“We’d like to have 70 snaps a game and we’re getting 57, 58 or 60 snaps,” Bobeck said. “We’re leaving the defense on the field way too much. We’ve got to get them off the field.
“In football, one busted assignment can turn a gain of 20 into a gain of one and cause a third-and-long situation. We’ve got to be more attentive and focused on our offensive assignments.”
There’s that word again. Focus. It’s been echoing around the lockerroom all week.
“We focus on one game at a time and then move on,” Bobeck said. “We’re concerned about Arkansas Baptist on Thursday and then worry about (Blinn).”
Oct 18-09
Navarro football: Bulldogs win ugly
No. 2 Bulldogs remain on collision course with No. 1 Blinn, get past Cisco, 31-8
By Rob Ludwig
CISCO – Perhaps it was the long drive, the beautiful fall weather or playing a one-win team. Whatever the reason, Navarro College left Chesley Field on Saturday with a rather uninspiring 31-8 victory.
The Bulldogs (7-0 overall, 5-0 in conference) needed superlative efforts from quarterback Roddy Green and linebacker Brad Graham to overcome four turnovers and tamp down a Cisco team that dropped to 1-6 in 2009.
Green completed 7 of 11 passes for 65 yards and a touchdown and he also rushed seven times for 124 yards, including a 53-yarder on a broken play in the fourth period to put away the pesky Wranglers.
Graham recovered a fumble and had two outstanding interceptions, setting up a pair of Navarro touchdowns.
Navarro will have a short turnaround this week, travelling to play Arkansas Baptist at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock on Thursday in a non-conference tilt. The Bulldogs, ranked second in the nation the last five weeks, will then host top-ranked Blinn at Tiger Stadium on Oct. 31 at 3 p.m.
Focused primarily on the work of running back Ketauras Stanton this season, Cisco switched modes against Navarro with marginal success. Quarterback Ivan Delgado completed 25 of 42 passes for 257 yards, throwing primarily short and intermediate routes. The Wranglers controlled the clock with its short passing attack and Stanton blasted away at the injury-depleted Navarro defensive line. As has been a trend the last three weeks for Navarro, Cisco ran 22 more offensive plays than the Bulldogs.
Stanton rushed for 106 yards on 21 carries as the conference’s leading rusher topped the 1,000-yard mark.
It was a tough game for Navarro quarterback Brant Costilla, who was intercepted twice and lost two fumbles while completing 8 of 15 passes for 151 yards.
Navarro held a 14-0 lead at the half and ran its advantage to 24-0 thanks to Juve Sanchez’s 30-yard field goal and Derrick Hall’s second touchdown run of the game.
Cisco scored its lone touchdown on its next-to-last possession as Delgado hit Gary Edwards in the right flat for a 17-yard scoring completion, shaving the lead to 24-8.
Green turned a wrong-way handoff into a 53-yard touchdown run with 3:17 left in the contest.
Navarro’s offense struggled with inconsistency and turnovers in the first half. Despite gaining more than 220 yards, Costilla accounted for three turnovers – two fumbles and his first interception of the year. Sanchez’s 26-yard field goal try also clanged off the back of his offensive line in the first period, adding to the Bulldogs’ frustrations.
Navarro went to offensive staple Hall to score its first touchdown of the game. Three plays after Graham recovered a fumble at the Cisco 25, Hall ran a cutback play to the left, picked up a block by Costilla and dashed in from 12 yards for a 7-0 lead at the 6:17 mark of the first period.
The Bulldogs made it 14-0 with 5:19 showing in the second period when wide receiver Marcus Jackson leaped high to grab Green’s 34-yard pass.
Navarro had other chances in the first half, but continually had drives fizzle because of turnovers.
The Bulldogs drove from the Cisco 48 to the 9, but Costilla’s fade pass in the end zone was dropped by DaQualon Evans, setting up Sanchez’s failed field goal attempt.
Costilla was later intercepted inside the Cisco 30 and he fumbled near the end of the half with Navarro driving past midfield
Cisco accumulated 202 yards of offense in the first half and did it through the air. Stanton, who did not start the game, came on to rushed for 73 yards on 12 tries in the first half. Delgado completed 13 of 21 passes for 117 yards and was picked off by Graham in the second quarter.
The Wranglers pushed within scoring position four times but Navarro’s defense stiffened on each occasion.
Stanton was stuffed for minus-yardage on fourth and one after an 11-play, 65-yard drive.
Graham’s interception stopped a Cisco drive at the Navarro 27, and two other series stalled at the Navarro 39 in the first half.
Navarro 31, Cisco 8
Navarro 7 7 3 14 -- 31
Cisco 0 0 0 8 -- 8
N — Derrick Hall 12 run (Juve Sanchez kick)
N — Marcus Jackson 34 pass from Roddy Green (Sanchez kick)
N — Sanchez 30 FG
N — Hall 10 run (Sanchez kick)
C — Gary Edwards 17 pass from Ivan Delgado (Delgado pass to Ketauras Stanton)
N — Green 53 run (Sanchez kick)
NC T
17 First downs 19
31-250 Rushes-yards 37-100
206 Passing yards 257
456 Total yards 357
14-26-2 Passing 26-44-2
3-49 Total punting 6-36
7-55 Penalties 8-45
3-2 Fumbles-lost 1-1
Rushing: Navarro — Derrick Hall 10-47, DePauldrick Garrett 12-59, Roddy Green 7-1245, Brant Costilla 2-4, LaVoyd James 1-16. Cisco — Ketauras Stanton 21-96, Woodrow Turner 5-12, Ivan Delgado 9-(-1), Gary Edwards 1-(-1), Alijuwon White 1-(-6).
Passing: Navarro — Costila 8-15-2-151, Green 6-11-0-55. Cisco — Delgado 26-44-2-257.
Receiving: Navarro J.J. Hayes 3-20, Marcus Jackson 5-71, James 2-17, Garrett 2-72, Kalen Jenkins 1-7, Joe Jones 1-19, Cisco — Anthony Exell 5-44, Lloyd Turner 4-48, Toravian Belcher 3-19, Alijuwon White 3-6, Stanton 2-16, Antwone Moore 2-43, M.J. Porter 2-8, W. Turner 2-14, Levi Fuson 1-24, Edwards 1-17, Clifton Bellard 1-16.
Oct 13-09
Navarro rush defense faces a challenge in Cisco
Wranglers may be 1-5, but TB Stanton is tough runner
By Rob Ludwig
NAVARRO FOOTBALL: AT CISCO, 3 P.M. SATURDAY (THE RANCH 106.9-FM)
There is not a lot of trickery to what Cisco’s offense tries to do each week. The Wranglers simply give the ball to tailback Ketaraus Stanton and let him go to work.
While the offensive success is unquestioned this season, Cisco limps into this Saturday’s 3 p.m. home game with No. 2-ranked Navarro with a 1-5 record after losing 31-20 at home last week to the Air Force JV.
It would be easy to discount the Wranglers, giving their subpar record. But if Stanton and Co. get things revved up and control the clock, they can be dangerous. Ask Trinity Valley, which started a three-game losing streak with a 27-24 loss to Cisco on the road.
“We know if we play well, we should take care of business,” said Navarro coach Nick Bobeck. “We know the situation and (Cisco) knows the situation. But we’re not worrying about anybody else right now. If we play to the level I know we can achieve, we’re going to be awfully difficult to beat.”
The Wranglers under first-year coach Scott Taylor will literally give the Bulldogs a run for their money behind Stanton.
The 6-1, 225-pound Stanton leads the conference in rushing with 913 yards in only five games and he has accounted for 52.6 percent of the Wranglers’ offense.
Once a recruit coveted by most of the junior colleges in the state out of Diboll, Stanton signed late his senior year with Louisiana Tech. When he did not meet the academic requirements, Cisco was eagerly awaiting him.
After an undistinguished freshman season when he rushed for 286 yards and one touchdown, Stanton became the focus of Cisco’s offense in 2009. He opened the season with 140 yards on the ground in a close loss. In the conference opener at Tyler, Stanton had his breakout game, compiling a conference-record 334 yards and two touchdowns in another narrow loss. Stanton then stepped off 150 yards and two touchdowns on 39 carries in a stunning 27-24 win over Trinity Valley.
“They are not real fancy on offense,” Bobeck said. “They are going to work it over and over and challenge the defensive line all day long. They run a lot of zone blocking schemes trying to displace you from your gaps. We’ve got to fit right and tackle well to stop (Stanton).”
Cisco added a new ingredient to its offense three weeks ago that Corsicana High School fans likely will remember. Quarterback Ivan Delgado, who led Killeen Ellison past the Tigers in the playoffs as a sophomore, has taken over as the Wrangler signal-caller.
Delgado has upgraded the Cisco offense, throwing for 230 yards and two TDs in his first two games.
Navarro (6-0 overall, 4-0 in conference) is in need of more consistent production along its front seven. The Bulldogs have only two sacks the last two weeks while opponents have dominated the clock (70 of 120 minutes). They can thank their offensive brethren for part of the problem with a quick-strike presence.
Another problem are injuries. Defensive tackle Lawrence Rumph (hip flexor) and Toby Jackson (neck) missed last week’s win over Northeastern Oklahoma. Tackle Justin Williams, playing perhaps the best of any player along the front, went down with an injury leg against NEO and is out an undetermined period of time.
Once the deepest position on the team, the defensive line now has some opportunities for reserve players to take key roles.
“Ricco Forbes needs to step up this week, as does Chris Jackson,” Bobeck said. “We moved Alfred Dupree to defensive end (from linebacker) and he’s responded. Sometimes, when you stand a kid up he looks like his feet is in mud. But then you put his hand back down and he looks like the guy you recruited. Alfred is playing like that player again for us.”
Navarro’s offense is humming along without starting quarterback Milton Howell (out for the season with a foot injury), averaging 447 yards and 46 points a game. Quarterbacks Brant Costilla and Roddy Green have performed admirably and running back Derrick Hall has been spectacular at times, including a four-touchdown outing vs. NEO.
Bobeck would like to see more production in the passing game to his quality tight ends, Kalen Jenkins and Chase Harper.
“We missed the tight end downfield three times against NEO,” he said. “Everyone thinks that you have to go for 85 yards on a pass play, but if you are able to throw to one of our tight ends 15 yards downfield in space, they are going to turn it into a big gainer. We have to give them the opportunity.”
Bulldogs turn to Costilla in matchup with rival
By Rob Ludwig
Before we get started, let’s get one thing clear: Brant Costilla is not Milton Howell.
He never was and never will be. Howell has few peers among junior college football quarterbacks, including the new starting signal-caller for Navarro College.
Howell’s foot injury suffered in last week’s rout of Tyler may cost him not just this week’s game but also the rest of his sophomore season. Gone is 399 yards rushing and nine passing touchdowns.
In steps Costilla for the second start of his young career, though his start at Kilgore consisted of two series because Howell was late for a team meeting earlier in the day.
Howell is extraordinarily fast and can freeze a defender with unique lateral quickness. He gashed Tyler for more than 200 yards by halftime last week before going down with the injury on one of his many long runs. Howell primed the Bulldogs’ read-option offense and often made defenses pay for overpursuit or jetted past languishing defensive ends.
Costilla is not a runner on Howell’s level, but Navarro Coach Nick Bobeck warns not to underestimate the first-year player from Dallas Parish Episcopal who passed for more than 2,900 yards and 22 touchdowns during his junior and senior seasons.
“We’re confident in what Brant can do,” said Bobeck, whose No. 2-ranked Bulldogs will travel to Athens for a 7 p.m. matchup on Saturday with the No. 15 Cardinals. “He cannot do the same things Milton can do, but he understands his limitations. It’s not that he cannot run, he just cannot run as well as Milton.”
Not many can, save for perhaps Blinn’s Cam Newton, a Florida transfer coveted by half the Big 12.
But Costilla will bring much to the Bulldog offense. The 6-4, 210-pound freshman is accurate and intelligent, which feeds into Bobeck’s complex offensive system.
Costilla has completed 69.2 percent of his passes this season and all three of his completions against Tyler went for touchdowns.
“We’ll be fine with Brant. It’s no big deal,” Bobeck said. “We likely won’t run as much with the quarterback, but I think our play-action game will be very effective.”
The change in quarterbacks will put a premium on a blossoming offensive line and running backs that have at times been underwhelming and also enthralling. Running back Derrick Hall showed an impressive flash of his ability against Kilgore when he rushed for 135 yards and caught a pair of passes for 59 yards. But he spent a lot of time running east and west instead of north-south against Tyler and managed just 58 yards on the ground. DePauldrick Garrett has been the most consistent of the Navarro runners, averaging 4.7 yards per carry with a team-high five rushing touchdowns.
“The other guys had better step up in the backfield,” Bobeck said. “I thought our offensive line would execute better than it did early in the year, but they had their best game of the year against Tyler. You could watch the line of scrimmage and there were hats on hats and that’s what you’ve got to have to be successful running the ball. Everyone has to be accounted for and our line did its job against Tyler.”
The best example of a dominating running game in the conference will also be in red on Saturday. Trinity Valley’s duo of Chad Winbush and Josh Johnson have accounted for almost 900 yards and 11 touchdowns this season. Winbush, a University of Alabama-Birmingham commitment, is averaging 9.3 yards per carry and is second in the conference in rushing. Johnson is third in the league with 417 yards and 7.2 yards an attempt. Bo Walker caps the finest backfield in the SWJCFC with 9.3 yards per carry and two more scores.
Trinity Valley was a multi-faceted offense last year that often featured four and five receivers. This year, however, the Cardinals have shown a battering-ram offense behind a talented and veteran offensive line. Trinity Valley also has a quality receiving corps headed by Chris Young (14 catches) and an evolving quarterback in Garrett Beal (37 of 69 passing for 489 yards).
Trinity Valley is averaging four less passes and four more rushes per game this season.
“They ran 50 plays from an empty (backfield) against us last year and were a more dual threat from the quarterback position,” Bobeck said. “They have some excellent games running the ball this year, but they haven’t met an animal like (Navarro’s defense) this year.”
Navarro is hoping to continue its success on defense this season. The Bulldogs are yielding 268.5 yards per game and is plus-four in turnover ratio. But Bobeck still wants to see a higher level of play from his linebackers. Reggie Dunigan was the starter at the outset of the season, notching 17 tackles in the first two games. He has only eight the last two tilts. He was supplanted by freshman Blake Cavil last week.
“Our linebackers as a whole have been inconsistent at times,” Bobeck said. “We’re trying to find the right fit right now. Reggie can do the job, but he’s got to do a better job of tackling in space. He’s done it well at some points, but he hasn’t done it all the time. He’s capable of doing it.
“If we are going to stop Trinity Valley’s running game, we’re going to have to be consistent tackling in space because of the quality of their running backs. It ought to be interesting to see if we are ready to put a dent in their running game. This could be a really interesting game to watch for everyone.”
Hopefully it will be much better than last year’s two meetings. Navarro won in the regular season 35-6 and then topped the Cardinals 31-20 in the first round of the playoffs. Both games were brutal to view for Navarro fans, who saw the Bulldogs turn over the ball a combined 12 times.
“Those games were hard to watch,” Bobeck admitted. “But we played both games with our backup quarterback. Now we’re going to play Trinity Valley with our backup quarterback for the fourth straight time in three years. I believe we’re going to be just fine. We’re confident in (Costilla) and what we’re capable of doing on both sides of the ball.”
xxx
Navarro at Trinity Valley
7 p.m., Saturday
at Bruce Field
RADIO: 106.9 The Ranch, 6:30 pm.
RECORDS: No. 2 Navarro (4-0) vs. No. 15 Trinity Valley (3-1).
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Trinity Valley: QB Garrett Beal, RB Chad Winbush, RB Josh Johnson, RB Bo Walker, WR Chris Young, DE Austin Luke. Navarro: RB Derrick Hall, OL Robert Griffin, DE Brandon Joiner, QB Brant Costilla, DE Toby Jackson, DB Saheed Imoru, LB Justin Clark, S Trevor Drayton, LB Reggie Dunigan, WR J.J. Hayes.
KEY STATISTIC: Navarro won both matchups last season by a combined 66-26, but the Bulldogs committed 12 turnovers in those two games, including seven in a playoff victory.
UPDATE: Navarro is completely healthy, save for QB Milton Howell, who injured his foot last week . . . Navarro OL Griffin, who can play either guard tackle, committed to Baylor earlier this week . . . Navarro will be dealing with the most potent rushing attack in the league spearheaded by the trio of Winbush (445 yards, 5 TDs), Johnson (417 yards, 6 TDs) and Walker (126 yards, 2 TDs). To defeat the Cardinals, the Bulldog defense that has allowed less than 100 yards rushing per game will have to stop a TVCC offensive unit that is gaining 257 yards a game . . . DEs Muhammad Usman and Joiner are among the league-leaders with 3 sacks apiece
Sept 25-09
Navarro football: Dog pound
Navarro opens up offense in 61-28 blowout of Tyler
By Rob Ludwig
Navarro College won the battle of quarterbacks and likely sent Tyler skidding out the NJCAA top 20 with an overwhelming 61-28 rout at Tiger Stadium on Thursday.
Quarterback Milton Howell accumulated 213 yards rushing and one touchdown and completed 8 of 12 passes for 146 yards and three more scores as the second-ranked Bulldogs compiled 577 yards of total offense and scored six times through the air.
Howell had 200 yards rushing in the first half when the Bulldogs rambled to a 34-21 lead. He exited the game with an injured ankle in the third quarter and backup Brant Costilla came on to complete three straight passes, all for touchdowns.
Tyler quarterback Vince McNeil started hot for the Apaches, spearheading an offense that amassed more than 230 yards offense in the first half to keep close to the Bulldogs. McNeil completed nine straight passes at one point in the second quarter, but then the Navarro pass rush began to take its toll. McNeil, who was 13 of 18 for 178 yards and one rushing touchdown, was sacked seven times by the Bulldogs. After rushing for 47 yards on his first 11 attempts, McNeil was thrown for minus-23 yards on is final seven tries before he was pulled in the third period.
Defensive tackle Lawrence Rumph contributed three sacks for the Bulldog defense and cornerbacks Saheed Imoru and Chevy Bennett and interceptions.
It was a bountiful evening for the Navarro receiving corps. Five players caught TD passes. Josh Powdrill had three catches, including scoring receptions of 48 and 50 yards. J.J. Hayes had touchdown receptions of 11 and 20 yards from Costilla in the second half. Wideout Jahmai Coleman and tight end Chase Harper also caught their first touchdown passes of the season.
Navarro running back DePauldrick Garrett rushing for 51 yards and scoring jaunts of 1 and 8 yards. Derrick Hall and Brad Croak contributed 57 and 52 yards, respectively.
Navarro rambled to a 34-21 halftime lead behind the legs and arm of Howell, who rushed for more than 200 yards and passed for two touchdowns in the first two stanzas.
Howell pushed the Bulldogs to a 14-0 lead with 3:35 left in the first period when he fired touchdown passes for 5 yards to Harper and 48 yards to Powdrill.
The teams traded touchdowns the rest of the game with neither defense able to corral the quarterback.
Howell ran only 12 times in the first half, but he gained 203 yards, gashing Tyler’s defense with regularity. The sophomore from South Houston registered runs of 68, 26, 23 and 37 yards, leading a quick-strike Navarro offense to scoring efforts on six of eight drives.
Navarro’s six touchdown drives went for 76, 87, 83, 63 and 19 yards. The latter score came after Imoru returned a kickoff 65 yards.
Running Back DePauldrick Garrett had the touchdown run on that latter drive and added a 1-yard run with 1:45 left in the second period for Navarro’s 13-point halftime lead.
After having to punt on its first three possessions, Tyler’s offense kicked into gear and traded scores with Navarro the remainder of the half.
McNeil was the primer for a Tyler offense that had 236 yards at halftime. McNeil had a 6-yard touchdown run to cut Navarro’s lead in half early in the second period. McNeil later completed a 51-yard pass to Jaborski Smiley to set up a Don Brown 5-yard scoring run. Fellow running back Chris Walker had a 1-yard scoring run late in the half after McNeil completed passes of 14 and 16 yards.
Navarro’s defense sacked McNeil five times in the first half, two on Tyler’s final drive of the half, helping the Bulldogs to retain their 13-point lead.
Sept. 23-09
Quick turnaround: Bulldogs get ready for Tyler
Navarro has short week after 42-17 victory at Kilgore
By Rob Ludwig
Navarro College does not have much time to enjoy its 42-17 thrashing of Kilgore on Saturday.
The 3-0 Bulldogs have a quick turnaround this week when they host fellow unbeaten Tyler at 7 p.m. Thursday at Tiger Stadium in an early-season Southwest Junior College Football Conference showdown.
The Bulldog running game had its coming out party against Tyler, rambling for 306 yards. Derrick Hall showed why Texas A&M signed him two winters ago, rushing for 135 yards and two TDs on only eight carries. He also added 59 yards on two receptions. Backfield mate DePauldrick Garrett added 91 yards and another touchdown.
Quarterback Milton Howell, who did not start the game after being late for a morning meeting, was the spark for the Navarro offense, completing 6 of 8 passes for 143 yards and two TDs and rushing for an additional 55 yards and a score.
“We really emphasized the running game last week,” said Navarro Coach Nick Bobeck. “We were excited about what happened in the game. We were awfully explosive when we get guys in space and that’s one of the things we’re trying to do more of as we move on during the season.”
Navarro continued its string of length drives, racking up scoring efforts of 83, 84, 73, 53, 77 and 90 yards against Kilgore.
“We squandered our only chance from a short distance, but then we hit on a lot of long drives,” Bobeck said. “I feel like we’re a lot more explosive on offense than last year. When we get guys in space like Derrick, there aren’t many guys who can run with him. We want to be simple, but we want to help the kids be in a position to use their athletic ability.”
Navarro’s defense gave up more than 75 yards rushing in the first 15 minutes of the game, but then allowed Kilgore just seven yards on its final 21 attempts.
Kilgore was also a measly 2 of 16 on third-down conversions.
“Our kids did a great job of getting off the field,” he said. “The two times Kilgore converted it was both third and less than a yard.
“That’s an example of what they kids can do when they come to play. It took a while to get them greased up, but then they really got after it.”
Tyler might be a little more difficult to corral. The Apaches feature a powerful offense triggered by quarterback Vincent McNeil, who passed for 219 yards and rushed for 115 yards in Tyler’s 49-35 win over Cisco last week.
The Apaches have a big back in Don Brown and a nimble group of receivers in Justin Bell and Chris Nalley, both of whom caught touchdown passes against Cisco.
“Last year, Tyler was a very run-oriented offense, but they’ve got some talented guys on the edge, two really good offensive linemen and two backs that will wear you down over the course of a game,” Bobeck said.
Navarro hopes to counter that with its deep defensive rotation. At least nine players rotate along the defensive line, and Bulldog coaches are comfortable using up to eight different players in the secondary.
Navarro’s defense accounted for 13 tackles for loss and six sacks against Kilgore. Defensive tackle Lawrence Rumph had three behind-the-line scrimmage tackles and defensive end Blake Chavis had his first sack of the season and three quarterback pressures.
“We’re excited about the whole group we have up front,” Bobeck said. “We’ve got lots of guys who can play well. Our defensive coaches do a great job of putting the kids into good situations in which they can use their God-given ability.”
Although Tyler’s offense has been putting up big numbers, its defense has yielded 29, 33 and 35 points in its three victories. But that’s not to say it cannot put pressure on opposing offenses, which concerns Bobeck.
“It’s an all or nothing deal for Tyler’s defense,” he said. “They’ll throw you for a loss two times in a row and then you can break a big one. They bring all kinds of blitzes and they seem to never run the same thing two plays in a row. They will put a lot of pressure on your defense.
“I’m confident in our offense right now, though. Our running game is coming along, the offensive line is playing better each week and we’re getting guys in space to make plays. This ought to be a fascinating football game. I think fans are going to get their money’s worth.”
Sept 20-09
Navarro routs Kilgore, 42-17
No. 3 Bulldogs move to 3-0 on the season
By Rob Ludwig
KILGORE – Third-ranked Navarro College turned first-quarter sluggishness into a 42-17 rout on Saturday at R.E. St. John Stadium in the conference opener for both teams.
Navarro, which improves to 3-0 on the season, will match up with fellow unbeaten Tyler on Thursday at Tiger Stadium in a key Southwest Junior College Football Conference matchup.
After struggling to only 10 yards in the first quarter, Navarro exploded for 467 yards total offense, including a devastating ground attack that topped the 300-yard mark for the first time this season.
Running back Derrick Hall rushed for 135 yards and two touchdowns on only eight carries and added 59 yards in receptions for the Bulldogs. DePauldrick Garrett added 94 yards rushing and another score on the ground.
Quarterback Milton Howell, who did not start the game for unspecified reasons, contributed touchdowns of 53 yards to J.J. Hayes and 2 yards to tight end Kalen Jenkins. Howell also stepped off an 8-yard scoring jaunt in a 21-point third quarter.
After yielding almost 100 yards in the first quarter, Navarro’s defense shut down Kilgore’s offense the final three periods, allowing only 229 yards total offense. The 0-3 Rangers were also 2 of 16 on third-down conversions.
Navarro suffered through a lethargic first quarter in which it gained a meager 10 yards total offense. The Bulldogs were even more punchless on defense, allowing 77 yards on the ground, almost double its season total for two games.
Howell did not play the first two series of the game and the Bulldogs went nowhere in Brant Costilla’s brief stint behind center.
Navarro scored on three of its next five drives, with Howell serving as the trigger on each series.
Trailing 3-0 early in the second period, Navarro went on a 9-play, 83-yard drive that ended on DePauldrick Garrett’s 18-yard touchdown run. Howell completed passes of 23 yards to Derrick Hall and 17 to Josh Powdrill to keep the series moving. Garrett broke through the right side of the line on first down and ran untouched into the end zone, giving Navarro a 7-0 lead at the 9:07 mark.
Navarro was back in the end zone on its next drive, this time moving 74 yards on seven plays. Howell hit Hall on a wheel route for 36 yards, prior to Hall’s own 14-yard dash to the end zone behind the clearing block of tackle David Grant.
The Bulldogs broke loose for 239 yards total offense in the second quarter, thanks largely to the guidance of Howell. The sophomore accounted for 41 yards rushing and was 4 of 5 for 129 yards passing in the second quarter, including a 53-yard touchdown pass to J.J. Hayes with 57 seconds left in the half. Howell eased to the left and launched a perfectly placed pass to Hayes that sailed 60 yards to him as he neared the goal line.
Sept. 17-09
Bobeck, Navarro wary of nemesis Kilgore Rangers
By Rob Ludwig
Before you mark down a “W” for Navarro when it travels to Kilgore on Saturday, you might want to exchange for your pen for a pencil, just in case.
History tells us to be wary of high rankings and travels to East Texas for Navarro. When the 2-0 and third-ranked Bulldogs open the Southwest Junior College Football Conference season at 0-2 Kilgore, they will be facing one of their most difficult league opponents of the last decade.
Although Navarro has won the last two meetings between the teams, including last year’s 28-10 conference opener at Tiger Stadium, Kilgore leads the series 7-3 during the decade of the 2000s.
There have been memorable battles, such as in the second trip to Kilgore in 2007 when Navarro ripped the Rangers 54-28 for the SWJCFC championship. And there was the 2002 tilt Kilgore won 23-20 when it needed a bizarre 50-yard extra-point to force overtime and then benefitted from a 52-yard field goal in the extra period.
“Kilgore always plays well at their place,” said Navarro Coach Nick Bobeck. “(Kilgore Coach) J.J. (Eckert) does a great job of getting his team prepared and ready to play. (Kilgore) should have beaten Fort Scott (21-17 loss) and they turned the ball over way too much against Tyler (51-33 lo
• weeklyGAMEnotesCOFFEYVILLE.pdf
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