Published: September 22, 2008 08:08 am      

TVCC 48, NEO 29 - Cardinals take down NEO

SWJCFC-opening wins gives TVCC first 3-0 start since 2002 season

MIAMI, Okla. — The Trinity Valley Community College Cardinals added to the continuing implosion of the Northeastern A&M Golden Norsemen Saturday night.

The Cardinals opened Southwest Junior College Football Conference action with a 48-29 win to stay unbeaten on the season through three games.

TVCC is 3-0 for the first time since 2002.

The loss was the eighth straight for NEO, which fell to 0-3.

Taking advantage of the first of two fumble recoveries by linebacker Robert Spann, the Golden Norse moved 44 yards in nine plays to grab the lead in the first quarter.

Freshman tailback D. J. Monroe scored on a 3-yard run and Matt Berrey’s extra point gave NEO a 7-0 lead with 3:58 left in the first quarter.

Trinity Valley received a 2-yard run by tailback Chad Winbush and an eight-yard touchdown pass from Pat Cook to Darnell Williams to build a 14-7 lead with 9:40 left until halftime.

A nifty 35-yard touchdown run by NEO’s Cardell Clemens and Berrey’s PAT created a 14-14 tie 33 seconds later.

Clemens, who finished with a game-high 173 yards on 29 carries, scored on a 14-yard run with 7:21 left in the second quarter. Berrey’s extra point gave the Norsemen a brief 21-14 lead.

Two pivotal defensive plays by the Cardinals enabled Trinity Valley to carry a 28-23 lead to the locker room at halftime.

Sophomore special teams player Jeremy Rouse scooped up a blocked Nicholas Walters punt and returned it 24 yards for a TD with 4:24 left in the half. Varona’s extra point produced a 21-21 tie.

Veteran cornerback Malcolm Williams stepped in front of an errant Trey Munden pass and returned it 73 yards to thwart an NEO scoring drive. The PAT by Varona boosted the score to 28-21 for TVCC.

NEO received a two-point safety after Malcolm Williams blocked a 30-yard field goal attempt by Walters and the ball was kicked out of the back of the end zone by a Cardinal defender.

NEO’s final lead of the game occurred on the first possession of the third quarter. Monroe scored on a two-yard run for a 29-28 NEO lead.

Trinity Valley received a 29-yard field goal by Varona in the third quarter and a 43-yarder in the fourth. while reserve tailback Bo Walker scored on runs of 19 and 31 yards.

Winbush led the Cardinal ground game with 137 yards o 17 carries.

Cook completed 16-of-23 passes for 139 yards.

Darnell Williams and John Turner caught five passes each.

Corey White led the TVCC defense with 11 tackles. Jason Thompson had 10 and Mike Collins nine.

In other SWJCFC openers, it was: Navarro 28, Kilgore 10; Tyler 35, Cisco 14 and Blinn 35, Arkansas Baptist 3.

The Cardinals are at home Saturday against Cisco. It will be their first home game since Aug. 30. Game time is 7 p.m. at Bruce Field.