Defense dominates in Bastrop win over Crockett 60-11

Bastrop's Weston Nielsen (13) was named Dave Campbell Player of the Week in Texas against Plano Prestonwood

By Jim Irish

Photo by Dustyn Werner

Bastrop improved to 4-0 after a 60-11 rout of Crockett in a District 12-5A opener on Friday at Memorial Stadium.

The Bears have actually won 12 of their past 13 games dating to last season.

Is winning becoming a habit in Bear country?

“I think winning and losing can become habits and, I think winning here is starting to become a habit,” Bastrop head coach Jake Griedl said. “That being said, habits are only as good as you work ‘em. They don’t just happen. You still gotta make conscious decisions to get the job done.”

"... I think winning here is starting to become a habit."

-- Bastrop head coach Jake Griedl

Defense played a prominent role against Crockett (0-4 overall).

Hola performs front somersault in end zone at end of touchdown

Bastrop defensive tackle Tiki Hola, a 6-foot-3, 305-pound senior and verbal commit to Notre Dame, grabbed a fumble on the first possession of the game, rumbled 25 yards, and executed an athletic front somersault into the end zone.

Officials penalized Bastrop 15 yards for Hola’s exuberant celebration.

“It’s frowned upon to do a front flip in the end zone,” Griedl said. “It’s hard to get mad at a kid like that. As a team leader, he probably got it in his head a little bit. It was addressed.”

Bastrop defensive back Cale Findlay returned a fumble to the Crockett 3-yard line, setting up a touchdown run by Gary Jefferson.

In the third quarter, defensive back Kennis Hunt returned a fumble to 40 yards for a touchdown.

Bastrop offense had 25 snaps for entire game

Because of the defense’s dominance, Bastrop had only six offensive snaps in the first half and 25 for the entire game.

Jefferson displayed his breakaway speed in the second quarter, cutting right on a punt return and delivering it down the right sideline into the end zone for 69 yards.

Jefferson also scored from the 2-yard line following a 32-yard reception by Dallas Crescenzo in the first quarter.

Crescenzo, the Florida transfer who continues to deliver, caught a 24-yard strike from quarterback Weston Nielsen in the second quarter.

Crescenzo almost had a second touchdown, snagging a low pass for 36 yards from Nielsen in the third quarter and tackled at the 1-yard line. 

Zac Wilkinson then caught a 1-yard touchdown from Nielsen.

Nielsen was on target completing 9-of-10 passes for 146 yards. He threw no interceptions after suffering a total of five in the previous two games.

After Wilkinson’s touchdown at 9:55 in the third quarter, Bastrop played the substitutes for the remainder of the game.

"That was our message at halftime. 'Get one more on the board. Let's give the (subs) an opportunity,' " Griedl said.

"That was our message at halftime to our starters. 'Get one more on the board. Let's give the (subs) an opportunity.'"

-- Griedl

Nielsen’s backup, Bryce Cosgrove, almost 6-2 and 215 pounds, took advantage of the opportunity, sprinting left, running over one defender, and scoring from 19 yards at the end of the third quarter.

"He's an aggressive kid," Griedl said about Cosgrove. "That was awesome to see him do that."

Bastrop kicker Andres Carbajal converted a 36-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.

Bastrop faces McCallum in tough road game Thursday

Bastrop confronts McCallum (3-1, 1-0) on the road Thursday. The Bears won 39-22 on their path to unbeaten district title. Luke Dunham, McCallum’s quarterback, is currently on the roster at the University of Texas.

Even without Dunham, Griedl expects a competitive game.

“They’re extremely well coached,” he said about McCallum head coach Thomas Gammerdinger. “Their kids play really hard.

“(Gammerdinger) always has a good quarterback who manages the game well. I doubt they’ve moved away from that (modus operandi). They took us to the wire last year.”

Jim Irish is a freelance writer in Bastrop, Texas