Published: November 05, 2009 09:15 pm      

Navarro’s Bobeck sweating the little things

SWJCFC SEMIFINALS: KILGORE RANGERS AT NO. 1 NAVARRO

You didn’t notice it unless you were paying very close attention, or unless you are a driven perfectionist like Nick Bobeck.

Navarro back Derrick Hall was running wide in the first half against Blinn, appeared to have the edge and was about to turn on those familiar after-burners when he was slowed by a roving cornerback and the Buc defense swallowed him up for a short gain.

Navarro’s offensive line has been stellar this season, but when a receiver — in this case J.J. Hayes — does not make a defining block on his man, then the Bulldog offense does not fully click. That would have added dozens of yards to Navarro’s already impressive 504 yards of total offense.

“(Hayes) has done a great job catching the ball this season, but he’s got to get that block,” said Bobeck, whose team plays Kilgore in the first round of the SWJCFC playoffs at 3 p.m. on Saturday at Tiger Stadium.

“Every person has got to get their block or the whole system will break down. I emphasized to (Hayes) about how important it is that he get that block. If he does, Derrick goes 81 yards and we’ve got Blinn down by three touchdowns and it’s a different game. It’s all the little things that make a difference once you get to this point in the season.”

For Navarro to stay unbeaten, advance to the SWJCFC title game and have a shot at a national championship, offensive precision will be at a premium. That’s what Bobeck has been preaching to his team.

The Bulldogs will need to be crisp against a rejuvenated Kilgore defense that has at times been dominant in a five-game stretch when the Rangers have won four games.

The Kilgore defense is paced by a secondary headed by Jimmy Anderson, Chris Tate and J.R. Osunde. A preseason All-American, Anderson has four pickoffs this season and is averaging more than 26 yards per kick return. Osunde had three interceptions against Cisco last week, returning one for a touchdown.

Kilgore’s defense has recorded 14 interceptions the last four weeks after registering only one during the first five games. Anderson has broken up 11 passes and Osunde seven this year.

“They’ve got very good defensive backs,” Bobeck said. “They have played very well in pressure situations. Kilgore has gotten some teams down and they’ve had to pass. Their secondary has played well.”

Navarro starting quarterback Roddy Green completed less than 50 percent of his passes against Blinn, but he still had two touchdowns and totaled 206 yards through the air. Green was victimized by a pair of dropped passes that would likely have resulted in touchdowns.

“We’re going to stick with Roddy,” Bobeck said. “Kilgore’s defense will challenge him, but he’ll be OK. If we get protection, he’ll be able to deliver the ball to our receivers.”

Kilgore’s defensive front seven also poses a difficult test for the Bulldogs.

Linebacker JoJo Schumpert has 13 tackles for loss and a team-high 5.5 sacks. Defensive end Matt Jones has five sacks and 40 tackles.

Bobeck is quick to applaud the work of tackle David Grant and Nick Johnson, who can play all five offensive line positions. Johnson’s work at tackle has drawn the notice of several Division I recruiters even though he’s still only a redshirt freshman.

“Our offensive line has been effective the last several weeks both in run blocking and in pass protection,” Bobeck said. “Kilgore has been dropping back some of its defenders and made some other changes on defense and it’s proved to be successful.

“No matter how good our offensive line plays, we’ve got to have all parts working to make the offense work. For our team to make a long run in the playoffs and possibly a bowl game, every play and every assignment have to be important to our players. That’s what makes the offense really work.”

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Kilgore at Navarro

3 p.m., Saturday

at Tiger Stadium

RECORDS: No. 1-ranked Navarro (9-0) vs. Kilgore (4-5)

RADIO: 106.9 The RANCH (2:45 p.m.) and live video broadcast over the Internet is at College TV Ticket. Go to www.collegetvticket.com.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Kilgore: QB Hans Cook, QB Chase Fisher, QB Si’Darius Blackshire, WR Trae Hawkins, TE Chase Ford, WR Darius Perkins, DB J.R. Osunde, DL Matt Jones, OL Michael Crowell,, C Junior Kautai, DB Jimmy Anderson, S Chris Tate, K David Bailey, LB JoJo Schumpert. Navarro: QB Roddy Green, RB Derrick Hall, OL Robert Griffin, DE Brandon Joiner, LB Brad Graham, DE Toby Jackson, WR J.J. Hayes, DB Saheed Imoru, LB Justin Clark, S Trevor Drayton, S Trenston Hill, LB Reggie Dunigan, OL David Grant, OL Nick Johnson.

KEY STATISTIC: Kilgore has played very well of late, but the Rangers still have problems in the second half. The Rangers have outscored opponents 174-113 in the first half this year, but have only scored 103 points compared to 122 for opponents in the second half.

UPDATE: It has been subtle, but the Bulldogs’ punting game has improved this season. Freshman punter Jesus Vargas averaged only 30.4 yards in his first 12 attempts this season. He then averaged 38.1 yards over his next 19 punts . . . This first-round game could come down to how well the Bulldogs can control the ever-changing Ranger offense. QB Cook took over five games into the season and now leads the team in rushing (437 ards) and is completing a sharp 70.3 percent of his passes for 673 yards and 6 scores . . . The Rangers’ top receiver is TE Ford (30 catches, 3 TDs), who left the program for Lamar University during the offseason, but returned just before workouts began in August. Lamar’s fledgling program is led by former Navarro Coach Ray Woodard . . . Kilgore has a stiff pass rush this season behind linebacker JoJo Schumpert (51 tackles, 5.5 sacks) and defensive end Matt Jones (40 tackles, 5 sacks) . . . Kilgore’s secondary is even more impressive. After registering only 1 interception in the first four weeks, the Rangers have totaled 14 during their 4-1 stretch. DBs Osunde and Anderson have 4 pickoffs apiece. Anderson doubles as one of the most dangerous kick returners in the nation . . . Kilgore K Bailey leads the conference with 9 field goals this season, including a 48-yarder. Bailey has converted on 33 of 35 extra points . . . The Rangers have averaged 39.1 yards per game during its last five games . . . Navarro RB Hall is averaging 13.5 yards every time he touches the ball on offense. Hall leads the team with 674 yards (8.8 per carry) and 10 TDs. Hall also has 10 catches, four of which he turned into scores . . . Green went the whole way against Blinn last week, but is still completing less than 50 percent of his passes. Green has thrown 8 TDs and has not been intercepted. Navarro’s TD-to-interception ratio is 23-4 this season . . . The Bulldogs lead the conference with 19 interceptions, including 5 by S Drayton, who had 2 against blinn. LB Graham and S Hill have 3 apiece and Dunigan has a pair of pickoffs, one late in the fourth period vs. the Bucs . . . Navarro Coach Nick Bobeck is 19-1 in his two seasons, easily the top winning percentage among active coaches.

— Rob Ludwig