NEDERLAND, Texas — With seven-straight wins under their belt, including a 37-0 thrashing of Houston Sterling to open the playoffs, Nederland is in position to do something they have not done since 2012, advance to the Regional round
Coach Monte Barrow is proud of what his team has accomplished thus far.
"First it's just exciting for the kids. They've worked for this time, playoff season. It's a different time, it's a different mentality, a different mindset that you got to have. I'm not comparing them to other teams, but they set out this year to do something special. Especially the seniors, leading us in their senior year and hopefully they can continue that this week.
Nederland's opponent Longview Pine Tree won an overtime thriller against A&M Consolidated last week to pick up their first playoff win since 1976.
When watching video of the Pirates you can't help but notice the similarities to Nederland.
Coach Barrow agrees.
"He (Pine Tree Head Coach Kerry Lane) told me right off the bat, we're not real big coach. I said well we're not going to jump off the video size-wise or anything like that. They like to run the football. The quarterback can throw it. He's fooled a lot of people in his statures. You know 5-8, 155. But he can run the football.
With Christmas break coming up next week there are plenty of distractions this time of the year, but Coach Barrow thinks 2020 has prepared his Bulldogs to overcome.
"I don't wish this year on anybody, but what it has done is prepare you for the unknown. Prepared you for things that are just not the same. We hadn't had a consistent week back-to-back yet. That's from the times we play, the days we play, the guys that are available. So that helps you in that aspect. So this team I've told them all along I don't worry about them. We're completely honest with them on everything that's coming up. You know put it in their hands and they've ran with it."
