NEDERLAND — Two years later, Randy Wistner barely had words to explain the feeling of Nederland winning on Port Neches-Groves’ home field.

“Nothing feels like that,” the safety said. “It’s an amazing feeling when you win that game. When you lose, you don’t ever feel anything like when you win. It’s an amazing feeling when you win. There’s nothing like it.”

That was two years ago, though.

For Wistner and other Nederland seniors, Friday night’s Bum Phillips Bowl will be their chance to take back the game’s trophy on their own field. Nederland last hosted PNG in 2014.

“Definitely in our senior year, that’s when you want to win it,” he said. “That’s the one you’re going to remember.”

Senior running back Devon Simmons has been so ready for the game, he said after Wednesday’s practice: “I’m just ready for tomorrow.”

It never hurts to be ready a day ahead.

“We’ve been working day-by-day, so I’m ready for Friday,” Simmons said.

Friday night will also be Monte Barrow’s first time to lead the Bulldogs in the storied Mid-County Madness rivalry as head coach.

“I’ve been in this long enough — this will be my 28^th one as far as a player and coach — [to know that] this is still all about the players that are on the field,” said Barrow, a former quarterback and 1986 Nederland graduate who has been on the Bulldogs’ coaching staff since 1993. “I’m excited the week has gotten here and I’m ready for Friday night.”

For the Bulldogs (6-2, 5-2 in 22-5A), much more than a trophy is at stake.

A playoff berth is on the line. If Nederland fails to win, they’ll need to cheer on Baytown Lee against Beaumont Central on Saturday, as a fourth loss will eliminate the Jaguars.

All the Bulldogs care about right now is Friday.

“From day one, our mantra for the season or whatever has always been, ‘Control your own destiny,’” Barrow said. “When you get down to the last week and you control your own destiny, you don’t have to count on anybody else. That’s a big deal for us.”

The playoff scenarios add another storyline to a series that has been played 93 times since 1925, a series Nederland trails 49-37-7, but had won six straight times in before 2016.

Simmons will go in a key weapon for Nederland with 1,121 yards and 12 rushing touchdowns in tow. He’s 58 yards shy of the 22-5A lead behind Lumberton senior Josh Ward.

“Our defense has given us chances to execute on the offensive side of the ball,” Simmons said. “Our o-line has been blocking. They’ve been pretty great.”

Even with so much on the line, Wistner said nothing is a bigger motivator to win Friday than the Bum Phillips Bowl itself.

“That’s the way it’s always been, and the way it’s always going to be,” Wistner said. “Nothing is going to change that. It’s the biggest game of our lives right now. Nothing is bigger than this right now.”

It has not bothered the Bulldogs greatly that two costly losses by a total of 10 points — 13-7 to Memorial and 21-17 to Central — has them in a must-win situation.

Nederland has already achieved one goal this season — a winning record. The Bulldogs have already won two more games than last season, when a 41-21 loss at PNG ended their playoff hopes.

“It was just crazy because we practiced so hard,” senior defensive end Tiren Forney said. “We can’t look down at it. We’ve just got to keep practicing hard, keep going and get that win Friday.”

But the “best thing ever” that’s happened to Forney is playing with “brothers” who have his back.

“Us working together is the best thing,” he said, asked where the Bulldogs have improved the most from last year.

One goal Barrow set for the Bulldogs is to not play this trophy game differently from any other game.

“Just for the mere fact our guys will come out each week, whether it’s on a Monday, Tuesday or Friday and play their hearts out and left it all on the field,” Barrow said. “If we do the same thing again this Friday, the results will take care of themselves.”

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I.C. Murrell: 549-8541. Twitter: @ICMurrellPANews

 

**An earlier version had an incorrect total of ties in the series**