By Todd Wills
Ask any fan that followed the 1989 national champion Bulldogs:
What’s the first thing you remember about Navarro’s title team?
It always comes back to the defense.
Simply put, the Bulldogs’ defense put up some mind-boggling numbers in leading Navarro to a 10-0 season.
Some highlights:
n The Bulldogs allowed 56 points in the regular season. Yes, that’s just over six points per game.
n Navarro pitched four shutouts, including blanking Ranger and Trinity Valley in the final two regular season games.
n The Bulldogs allowed 259 yards rushing for 10 games — 25.9 yards per game. The most rushing yards in a game in SWJCFC history is 281.
n The Bulldogs allowed 125 rushing yards in six conference games. Charles Thompson had 159 yards in the national championship game against Ellsworth Community College.
Starting defensive end Jerome Pipkins said it got to the point in practice where Bulldogs coach Bob McElroy wouldn’t put the first-string offense out against the first-string defense.
“We were out for blood,” Pipkins said.
McElroy said consistency was the key.
“You should have seen our middle drill in practice,” McElroy said. “It was unbelievable.”
