January 13, 2011
Cody Pastorella The Port Arthur News Thu Jan 13, 2011, 11:26 PM CST
PORT NECHES — Brennan Doty will maintain a special place in the hearts of Indians fans long after he graduates. The Port Neches-Groves senior has been the heartbeat of the football team the past two seasons and he has probably meant even more to the basketball team.
Statistically speaking, Doty’s name stands among some of the best Indian athletes to ever step on the gridiron or the hardwood.
As a two-year starter at quarterback, Doty racked up 4,557 yards and 43 touchdowns all while completing 62 percent of his passes. He helped guide the Indians to the third round of the playoffs in back-to-back campaigns, including a district championship in 2009.
This past year, he set the school record for passing touchdowns in a single-season with 30. He also accumulated 2,868 yards, which ranks second best behind Dustin Long. Doty also connected on 64.5 percent of passes his senior year.
This is all but a few highlights that made Doty the the clear choice for The Port Arthur News Super Team MVP award, just one of many accolades Doty has notched over the years.
Working on his fourth letter in basketball, Doty has been an all-district team member the last two years. He was a first-teamer last season after finishing as the district’s second leading scorer with 16 points per game.
Including the six games he started as a freshmen, the 6-4 guard has averaged double-digit scoring for his career. He has scored 1,137 points overall. PN-G basketball chief Pat Abel says Doty is one of the most prolific scorers and overall players in program history.
In 11 years as the head coach, Abel has had two others reach 1,000 points including John Worthington and Jamel Douriso.
Doty is averaging 23 points per game this year and has at least 10 games remaining. Sitting at 2-2 in District 20-4A play, the Indians (9-11) are in fourth place behind Little Cypress-Mauriceville (3-1) and Ozen and Nederland who are both 4-0. Nederland and Ozen are responsible for PN-G’s losses, which were on the road, including Tuesday’s 42-40 defeat to the Panthers.
PN-G will host LC-M tonight in what Doty says is a must win.
“It would mean the world to me if this team can be the one to break the playoff barrier (1989),” explained Doty. “This is a must win really. Not getting the win at Ozen was tough but we have LC-M coming here (tonight) and this is a big one. A win (tonight) can do so much for us down the road, so it’s just an important game.”
Doty has been a part of near playoff misses the past two seasons where he averaged 11 and 16 points per game, respectively. Doty is also an efficient rebounder, claiming seven boards per game and around four for his career.
One of the more impressive feats that Ron and Carol Doty’s son has accomplished has come at the free throw line where he has made 365 of his 449 attempts. That means he gets to the foul line often and earns a point 81 percent of the time.
“I like to attack because I know something good will happen,” said Doty, who hit 31 threes his sophomore season. “It keeps the defense on their heels. I’ll take the open shots when they are there, but I think I’m better at driving and that’s what I want to do.”
Abel is just happy Doty has been wearing Purple and White all this time. He is astonished about Doty’s accomplishments as a quarterback and as a basketball player but more than anything, Abel is most pleased with who Doty is as a person.
“Great student, great person,” announced Abel. “Morals, standards — his parents have done an awesome job with him because it’s always yes sir and no sir with him. Brennan is just a great kid to be around, the kind of kid you want to coach and not just because he is exceptional player. To me, who he is outweighs what he is as an athlete.”
“He is a great example to future Indians,” said PN-G football coach Brandon Faircloth. “We will be able to tell stories about Brennan for a long time. He’s a wonderful athlete, a great kid and a great example of someone who has come to PN-G, played multiple sports and excelled at them.
“Brennan plays the same in both sports. He plays so hard and, of course, he’s very skilled. He’s a great leader and makes good decisions. He’s been a staple for our football team and for the basketball team and will be sorely missed.”
Doty the athlete and Doty the person make for one tandem coach Abel desperately wants to see playing at the college level.
“I’m sending his stuff all over. Hopefully someone will see what he has to offer because he has a whole lot to offer,” explains Abel. “It surprises me that no one has swept him up as a quarterback yet. I know he wants to play either sport at the next level and I really want that to work out for him.”
Whatever happens in the coming months, Doty says his time at The Reservation has been special.
“The people around here make it really fun for me,” he said. “Coach Abel and coach Faircloth have been great. I’ve had some great teammates. It’s just been a lot of fun. I wouldn’t want it any different.”
