By TOM HALLIBURTON
Port Arthur News Sports Writer
PORT NECHES – If people think Port Neches-Groves has turned into a sitting duck after two losses, Cody Clark has issued a lengthy message for them.
The senior inside linebacker is so convinced otherwise, he has assumed his place of leadership on this morning’s Port Arthur News purple podium.
Clark wants to make it clear that there is nothing wrong with this Indians’ team. Do not worry, fans, Clark believes the Indians’ demise has been greatly exaggerated at shopping malls and grocery stores near you.
“We’re coming out with a slow start, I guess,” the 17-year-old son of John and Vicki Clark said. “We have some great things going on defense and there’s some bright spots on offense. But I don’t think there’s anything wrong with us. I think we’re going to come around.”
Three unpleasant realities recently have stared the Indians in the face besides two losses to Jacksonville and Humble Kingwood.
1. There’s room for only three playoff teams from each district.
2. Lincoln, Nederland and West Orange-Stark are earning their share of early-season state-wide recognition.
3. PN-G senior tailback Jeff Bergeron will miss at least one game, and possibly more, with a shoulder separation.
A two-year starter at PN-G, Clark has heard some of the talk. He fired back about it on Tuesday.
“Everybody’s undermining us right now,” he said. “Once we start winning, I think we will start rolling like we did last year.”
Whoa, Cody. That’s tall talk for a player on a 1-2 team. Especially a team which committed seven turnovers last Friday. The 1999 Indians fashioned a 14-2 season with a grand total of 21 turnovers.
But Clark insisted the improvement curve intended to begin this Friday night at The Reservation. That’s when PN-G will host Beaumont Kelly at 7:30 on Homecoming night in Indian Stadium.
Clark did not deny the 24-17 loss at Kingwood “kinda struck in us our confidence level a little bit.”
The game has not been an easy one to discard, especially because PN-G does not usually experience such a rash of turnovers.
“As a team, we beat them in the stats but we lost mentally,” Clark said. “I think we’ve got to focus on both sides of the ball and come out mentally prepared. We’ve had some bad luck but we’re a team and we’ve got to stick together. There are things we can do to improve.
“A lot of people may think they can come out and beat us. They think we have a weaker team than last year. It shows in the polls. I guess that we’re behind everybody, but we’re a strong team. People just don’t realize it.”
Clark refrained from specific finger-pointing but he issued an ultimatum for a few of his teammates to kick it up a notch right now and make it snappy.
The quarterback of PN-G’s even-front defense, Clark has maintained a steady pace in tackles all season. He received head coach Matt Burnett’s nomination for Port Arthur News player of the week after collecting seven first-contacts and six assists at Kingwood.
“I think certain players are going to have to take responsibility for the team and step up,” Clark continued. “We’re not going to be under-mined. We’re going to surprise a lot of people.”
Clark’s performance level has not served to surprise anyone at PN-G, especially Burnett, who doubles as the inside linebackers’ position coach.
“Cody typifies what you want in a football player and a person,” Burnett said. “He’s intelligent and he gives you maximum effort at all times. He’s an overachiever.
“He and Trayce (Boudoin, PN-G’s fellow inside backer) played their best game the other night. They understand that we’ve got to figure out a way to make plays. It’s a fine line at linebacker to know when to run through the gap.”
Clark is the first to admit that he’s started this season much better off as a linebacker. He also sees himself as one of those Indians most responsible for directing the team’s immediate turnaround.
INDIAN INKLINGS
Senior tailback Jeff Bergeron will not play this week, and possibly next week, because of an AC shoulder separation. The injury occurred in the second quarter last Friday at Kingwood. Junior Brady Flores will start Friday at tailback…. A brand-new south end zone scoreboard was expected to be erected in time for this week’s game…. Senior QBs Cody Elkins and Tony Bowser will suit out this week but junior Kirk Hallmark will start again at QB. Elkins and Bowser will play Friday as the situation presents itself…. Busy homecoming agenda starts Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m., with a parade to Indian Stadium from the OCAW Hall in downtown Port Neches. A pep rally will be held in the gym Friday at 2:30, and the Indians’ sweetheart coronation ceremonies will be conducted in pre-game. A dance will follow at the school after the game.
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