By CHRISTOPHER DABE
September 24, 2008
Posted: September 24, 2008, 8:26 PM CDT
Matt Burnett had more than his football players in mind when the decision was made to keep the Port Neches-Groves’ home opening game at Oct. 10.
“It will be good for the kids,” said Burnett, PN-G’s head football coach. “Not just the players, but the band, the Indianettes and everyone else. These seniors need a chance to be on this field.”
Burnett and other school and construction officials met Wednesday to discuss moving the team’s first game in its rebuilt, $10.2 million stadium from Oct. 10 against Livingston to Oct. 24 against Lumberton because of construction delays caused by Hurricane Ike.
By keeping Oct. 10 as the opening-game date, PN-G will keep its homecoming at home and will allow for three home games this season. The third is Nov. 7 against Central.
The press box will not be complete and the video screen on the scoreboard will not show replays during the first game, Burnett said. The concession stands will not be equipped to cook food but will sell heated food brought in by vendors, he added.
The video board should be ready for Oct. 24 game, Burnett said.
“It’s going to be a big day for the kids to be able to play at home,” Burnett said. “The focus has to be on the kids.”
* West Brook football coach Craig Stump said he has a tentative agreement for his team to play a non-district game Oct. 3 against Clear Creek.
Clear Creek (1-1) is scheduled to play a district game that day against Galveston Ball but could be left with an open date if Ball does not field a team after Hurricane Ike ravaged the island.
Stump said Katy Mayde Creek, Kingwood and Houston Chavez all turned down offers to play West Brook.
The Bruins (2-0) last played Sept. 6 and had three games canceled by Ike. For now, West Brook’s next game is Oct. 10 in a District 21-5A opener at Channelview.
* Central and Vidor will open District 20-4A play against each other Tuesday at Vidor, Beaumont ISD athletic director Rodney Saveat said. The game is moved from Beaumont’s Zaharias Stadium because the stadium is being used as a staging area for emergency relief efforts.
* District 21-3A Executive Director Mike Gentry said he does not expect any significant changes made in the district’s football schedule when the executive committee meets Thursday in Beaumont.
The committee will hammer out a revised volleyball schedule after Hurricane Ike caused the cancellation of several matches.
“I don’t think we’ll have to do football changes unless we change games from Friday to Saturday because of lights,” Gentry said.
http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/sports/local/date_for_port_neches-grov…
