By Brooks Kubena | BeaumontEnterprise.com
Published 12:20 am, Saturday, October 22, 2016
PORT NECHES – Port Neches-Groves clinched a playoff spot for the fourth-straight season, the seventh under head coach Brandon Faircloth, with a 35-20 win over Central at Indian Stadium Friday night. Central (2-4 in District 22-5A), will need to win their next two games, plus help from tiebreakers, in order to make the playoffs for their fourth-straight season.
WHAT HAPPENED
Central had trouble stopping PN-G’s zone read rushing attack, and PN-G sophomore quarterback Roschon Johnson and junior running back Preston Hughes combined for 193 rushing yards – 149 in the first half.
Turnovers on downs and a late interception halted a Central comeback, and Central head coach Toby Foreman had to “pass the most we’ve ever in my life” in order to compete against PN-G’s stout defensive front.
Central senior quarterback Chris Boudreaux finished 17-of-25 passing for 143 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
PN-G’s Johnson gashed Central on his second drive of the game with runs of 29 yards, 11 yards and a 16-yard touchdown to give PN-G a 7-0 lead with 6:23 left in the first quarter.
Central began to play the run, and Johnson hit junior receiver Preston Riggs for a 48-yard play-action touchdown pass on the second play of the second quarter to go up 14-0.
Central, unable to gain yards between the tackles, relied on spreading the ball to the perimeters of the field. Senior quarterback Chris Boudreaux targeted senior receiver Earl Payne, who finished with eight catches for 67 yards, twice on the sidelines during a 75-yard touchdown drive that ended with a 13-yard touchdown pass from Boudreaux to senior running back Deshon Moreaux to make the score 14-7 with 8:33 left in the first half.
PN-G countered quickly with a 73-yard touchdown drive, capped by a two-yard scoring sneak by Johnson, to give PN-G a 21-7 halftime lead.
Central may have been able to tie it at the half, were it not for two failed fourth down attempts. The first happened on Central’s second drive of the game, when Boudreaux’s pass fell off the hands of junior running back Theodrick Foster at the PN-G 45. The second happened at the end of the half when Central drove to the PN-G 16 looking to diminish a 21-7 deficit; Boudreaux’s bootleg pass fell short of junior tight end Adrian Humphrey near the end zone, and Humphrey thought he may have been held by the defender and looked for a flag that didn’t come.
After a scoreless third quarter, Central’s Boudreaux scored on a two-yard sneak – two plays after a 23-yard pass to Moreaux set up first and goal – and made the score 21-14 with 11:03 left in the game.
PN-G scored on their next two drives – a two-yard run by Johnson, and a 30-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to senior receiver Keynel McZeal – to put the game away 35-14 with 2:45 left.
Boudreaux connected with Moreaux on a 16-yard touchdown pass with 23 seconds left in the game to set the final score at 35-20.
TURNING POINT
Down 28-14 with 5:02 left in the game, Central had all three timeouts and had found enough success passing to still have a chance at coming back. On the first play of the drive, PN-G senior defensive back Jacob Vaughan intercepted Boudreaux at Central’s 32 yard line. Three plays later, on fourth and eight, Johnson connected with McZeal for a 30-yard touchdown pass to put the game away 31-14.
WHAT STOOD OUT
In a game that lasted just two-and-a-half hours, PN-G punted just twice and attempted fourth down conversions three times. They converted just once: a 30-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to McZeal. Confidence was placed on a PN-G defense that held Central to 219 total yards.
BY THE NUMBERS
PN-G sophomore quarterback Roschon Johnson and junior Preston Riggs had all of the Indians’ rushes (41) for a combined 193 yards. Johnson commanded the zone read option, with 26 carries for 129 yards and three touchdowns. Johnson was 6-of-7 passing for 115 yards and two touchdowns.
THEY SAID IT
“The best thing you can do as a coach is welcome your kids to the Texas high school football playoffs, and that’s what I was able to do just now,” said eight-year PN-G head coach Brandon Faircloth.
RECORDS
PN-G (7-1, 5-1); Central (3-5, 2-4).
UP NEXT
PN-G travels to Ozen on Oct. 29; Central hosts Livingston on Oct. 28.
