LUFKIN – One thing for certain, the Bridge City Cardinals have some
momentum to build on after a superb season ended Friday night at
Lufkin’s Abe Martin Stadium against a tradition-rich Carthage Bulldog
squad.
The Cardinals dropped a 44-20 decision to the pass-happy Bulldogs in
the Class 4A Region III Division II playoffs but have plenty of
positives to take away from a season in which they went 7-4 for
first-year head coach and alum Dwayne DuBois after back-to-back 2-8
campaigns.
Coach Dwayne DuBois’ Redbirds fought hard but they dug themselves too
big of a whole in the first half to the Bulldogs (8-3), who will move
on to face Stafford in the area round.
Bulldog quarterback Jarod Blissett completed 24-of-39 passes for 331
yards and four touchdowns and Carthage kicker Alfredo Hernandez booted
three field goals to spark the win.
Carthage finished with 453 total yards.
Receiver Hunter Townsend had eight receptions for 124 yards and a
touchdown. Jakeldric Jackson hauled in five catches for 76 yards and a
pair of scores. Dee Bowens had four grabs for 85 yards and a TD while
fullback Ravodney Hardy rumbled for 81 yards on 11 totes.
Carthage held Bridge City’s potent running attack to just 186 yards on
45 carries. Outstanding two-way player Derick Dearing led the Cardinal
ground arsenal with 65 yards and two TDs on eight carries. Quarterback
Camden DuBois rushed for 56 yards on 14 totes and completed 2-of-5
passes for 62 yards. Cayce Draper, BC’s leading rusher for the season,
was held to 45 yards on 10 carries.

Carthage outgained the Cardinals 253-73 in the first 24 minutes to run
out to a 27-7 lead at intermission.
Blissett completed 17-of-29 passes for 196 yards and three touchdowns
in the half.
The Cardinals tried to get themselves right back in it by zipping 71
yards in six plays on the first series of the second half to trim the
margin to 27-14.
DuBois got it going with a 26-yard pass to Draper that got to the
Carthage 45. Draper eventually had a 11-yard run to the 25 and Dearing
cruised around the left side, hit the sideline and scored from 22
yards out with 9:09 left in the third.
However, the Bulldogs answered right back. Blissett teamed up with
Townsend on a 63-yard dart over the middle that got all the way to the
Cardinal 9. On fourth-and-goal from the 1, Hardy was able to go off
left tackle for the score to put the Bulldogs up 34-14 with 6:38 in
the third.
The Bulldogs moved from their own 49 to the Cardinal 11 and settled
for a Hernandez 28-yard field goal to make it 37-14 with 3:27 in the
third.
Carthage followed up with a seven-play, 79-yard drive that was capped
with a six-yard touchdown pass from Blissett to Jackson, pushing it to
44-14 with 8:54 remaining.
The Cardinals kept battling as they marched 53 yards in eight plays
with Caleb DuBois sneaking in from the 1 for the score to make it
44-20 with 4:30 left. Caleb replaced his brother, who got banged up
two plays before. The big play of the drive came when Camden DuBois
teamed up with Kane Booth on a 36-yard pass that got down to the
Bulldog 16.
The Bulldogs navigated 66 yards in 12 plays to score on the opening
series of the game, 60 coming through the air by Blissett.
Carthage punched it in by going for it on fourth-and-goal from the 7
when Blissett hooked up with Townsend on a seven-yard touchdown dart
over the middle as the Bulldogs led 7-0 with 6:42 in the first
quarter.
Blissett completed 7-of-9 passes on the drive. Townsend caught four
for 27 yards and Jackson had two catches for 30 yards.
The Cardinals, on their first snap of the night, gave the ball back to
the Bulldogs when there was a bad snap exchange as Carthage took over
at the BC 32.
Two plays later Blissett found a streaking Jackson down the right
sideline and hit him in stride for a 30-yard touchdown strike to push
the Bulldog lead to 14-0 with 5:56 in the first.
The Bulldogs received a 42-yard bull-run up the middle by Hardy that
got all the way to the Cardinal 15 but the BC defense held firm and
Carthage settled for a 33-yard field goal by Rafael Hernandez with
11:48 left in the half.
The Bulldogs marched 63 yards in six plays early in the second quarter
with Blissett throwing for all 63 yards. Carthage capped it with a
29-yard touchdown strike to receiver Dee Bowens down the left side to
up the advantage to 24-0 with 7:27 in the half.
The Cardinals were able to put together an excellent six-play, 61-yard
scoring drive at the end of the half, all via the ground game. DuBois
carried three times for 30 yards. Derick Dearing carried twice for 25
yards, including a 12-yard touchdown burst off left tackle to trim it
to 24-7 with 0:39 remaining before the half. Cardinal linebacker
Austin Fitts picked off a Blissett pass at the BC 35 and returned it
to the Bulldog 37 with 0:23 left.
Unfortunately, the Cardinals returned the favor as DuBois was picked
off by Mekhi Colbert at the Cardinal 14 and he returned it all the way
back to the BC 33 with 0:10 left.
After hitting Townsend for a 10-yard pass, the Bulldogs finished the
half off with Hernandez booting a 39-yard field goal as time expired.
Townsend had seven catches for 61 yards in the half. Bowens had three
grabs for 61 yards and Jackson caught three passes for 59 yards. Hardy
rumbled for 49 yards on six totes.
DuBois collected 34 yards on seven carries in the half while Dearing
had 25 yards on three carries.

Carthage 44,
Bridge City 20

Car             14      13      10      7— 44
BC              0       7       7       6 —20

Scoring summary
Carthage: Hunter Townsend 7 pass from Jarod Blissett. Rafael Hernandez kick.
Carthage: Jakeldric Jackson 30 pass from Blissett. Hernandez kick.
Carthage: Hernandez 33 field goal.
Carthage: Dee Bowens 29 pass from Blissett. Hernandez kick.
Bridge City: Derick Dearing 12 run. Alfredo Heraldez kick.
Carthage: Hernandez 39 field goal.
Bridge City: Dearing 22 run. Heraldez kick.
Carthage: Ravodney Hardy 1 run. Hernandez kick.
Carthage: Hernandez 28 field goal.
Carthage: Jackson 6 pass from Blissett. Hernandez kick.
Bridge City: Caleb DuBois 1 run. Kick failed.

———
Car             BC
First downs             18              15
Rushes-yards    23-122  45-186
Passing         331             62
Comp-Att-Int    24-39-1 2-5-1
Fumbles-Lost    0-0             6-2
Penalties               6-37            6-30
INDIVIDUAL STATS
Rushing: Carthage, Keaontay Ingram 6-35, Jarod Blissett 2-3, Ravodney
Hardy 11-81, Hunter Townsend 1-0, Jatavion Spillmon 3-3, ; Bridge
City, Cayce Draper 10-45, Camden DuBois 14-56, Colt Poole 5-30, Derick
Dearing 8-65, Hunter Denton 1-(-2), Caleb DuBois 3-4, Byron Trahan
4-(-2).
Passing: Carthage, Jarod Blissett 24-39-1 331; Bridge City, Camden
DuBois 2-5-1 62.
Receiving: Carthage, Hunter Townsend 8-124, Jakeldric Jackson 5-76,
Dee Bowens 4-85, Keaontay Ingram 4-38, Brewster Griffith 1-4 ,Jarrod
McLin 1-3; Bridge City, Kane Booth 1-36, Cayce Draper 1-26.