Cardinals, Bulldogs square off in battle of unbeatens

By Benny Rogers Sports Editor

4-0 vs. 4-0.

No. 1 vs. No. 12

Navarro College vs. Trinity Valley Community College.

If ever there’s a game not in need of hype, this is the one.

Or, as Brad Smiley told his squad this week, “if you can’t get up for this one, you’re dead.”

Chances are the Cardinals will be very much alive Saturday when they travel to Corsicana to take on the nation’s top-ranked Bulldogs. Kickoff at Tiger Stadium is set for 3 p.m.

At stake is the outright lead in the Southwest Junior College Football Conference, not to mention protection of national rankings. TVCC and Navarro are the lone unbeaten teams in conference play after two weeks.

“This is the kind of game you live for as a player and coach,” Smiley said. “It’s all out there in front of us.”

The way Smiley sees it, the game has a bigger implication.

“The winner will be in control of its own destiny,” Smiley said. “That’s always what you want. You don’t want to have to wait and rely on help.

“We’ve said from the start our goal was to make the playoffs and win a conference championship. This would get us closer.”

But Smiley is also aware it won’t come easy for his squad, which features the No. 1 scoring offense in the conference with 194 points.

“This is a very good football team we’re facing, Smiley said. “They’re the best team we will have faced so far.

“They’re the No. 1 team in the nation and very much deserving of being there. They won the conference last year and finished with a high national ranking, they were preseason No. 5, they are unbeaten and all the teams that were ranked above them have already lost.”

Navarro owns wins over Coffeyville, Kan. (19-10), Georgia Military (25-13), Kilgore (28-10) Tyler (44-34).

Meanwhile, the Cardinals have been dominant in wins over Dodge City, Kan. (48-0), Louisiana College JV (51-14), NEO (48-29) and Cisco (47-13) for their best start since 2002.

“Cisco was by far our most complete game so far,” Smiley said.

He said it will take a similar game against Navarro.

“We’re a lot alike in that we have speed and talent in all three phases of the game,” Smiley said. “It going to be a good game — a close one.

“Which ever team plays best and eliminates turnovers and mistakes will win the football game. When the clock hits zero we will know which one has done that.”

Smiley is hoping for a large turnout of Cardinal fans.

“I hope we can get half of Athens and Henderson County there,” Smiley said. “Like I said, this is the kind of game you live for.”

NOTES — Cardinal defensive back Tory Tyner has been named the NJCAA Defensive Player of the Week. In last week’s win over Cisco, he returned interceptions 100 and 90 yards for touchdowns ... Last week, Jeremy Rouse was named the NJCAA Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance against NEO ... Tyner and Rouse also received top conference honors ... Smiley said the Cardinals are healthy for the Navarro game and no players are expected to not play due to injuries ... The game will be broadcast by Palestine radio station KYYK (98.3 FM) ... The Cardinals return home next week to play Blinn for homecoming.