By BURT DARDEN
News Sports Staff
December 21, 1975
IRVING – Nobody wanted to play a better football game than Port Neches-Groves defensive end Mike Giblin. “I knew this was going to be the last time all of us on the Port Neches-Groves team would play together. Since I missed the first couple of games on account of my knee injury I wanted this to be my best game,” said the 188-pound senior.
It was. Giblin jarred the ball loose from Odessa Permian running back Johnny Houser and halfback Jack Collazo caught it in mid-air, sprinting 38-yards for a touchdown in PN-G’s 20-10 Class 4A state championship win over the Panthers in Texas Stadium Saturday afternoon.
Nobody was more surprised than Giblin when Collazo scooted for his first touchdown since a 38-yard punt return against Thomas Jefferson in District 22-4A play. “Permian had two backs lead blocking on me but I guess they didn’t see me. I went around them and struck the back and the ball came loose,” said Giblin.
Giblin didn’t even see Collazo pick off the ball. “Man, I was on the ground When I looked up I saw Jack hookin’ it down the field. At first I thought he had picked up a fumble and I knew you couldn’t run with it. But when he crossed the goal and everybody in the stands went wild I knew it was a touchdown.”
The three-year letterman also came up with two more defensive gems to shove Permian out of hotshot field goal kicker Russell Wheatly’s range in the second quarter.
Permian had reached the Indian 33 and appeared to be in sure field goal range. Giblin whipped his man and sacked Mojo quarterback Kris Howard for a seven-yard loss on first down and then turned the trick again for a nine yard loss on second down.
“I’m not sure how I did it. I pinched a nerve in my neck on the play before and I was really hurting. When I first got hit I could barely move. But I knew we had to put pressure on their quarterback, so I just went as hard as I could. After the two sacks my neck quit hurting, though,” smiled Giblin.
Port Neches-Groves head coach Doug Ethridge indicated the fact his Indians forced five Permian turnovers was the key to the ball game. The Mojo had only 14 going into the finale.
The Indians got their first touchdown under rather unusual circumstances too. Buchanan had crossed the goal on a 32-yard end run only to have it wiped out by a clipping penalty.
Buchanan had to punt but a defensive clip by Permian gave PN-G a first down at the Odessa 25. The Indians moved to the 14 and quarterback Richy Ethridge pulled his Roger Staubach imitation. Seeing nobody open on a pass play Ethridge scrambled up the middle for 14 yards and a touchdown, his eighth of the season.
“It just sorta’ opened up in the middle. Permian had our receivers covered, so I took off. Once I got inside the five I knew I was going to score,” said the 185-pound junior quarterback, who has scored half his TDs in the playoffs.
Once again pass interceptions played an important role in the Indian victory.
The Tribe picked off three at critical times. Randy Johnson got his 10th interception of the season, stealing the ball from Bobby Riggs at the Indian two yard line early in the second quarter.
“What can you say about it? I was in the right place because we worked on it all week. He (the receiver) caught the ball but I took it away from him. I guess he didn’t want it as much as I did,” said Johnson.
Inside linebacker Wilson Weber got his fifth interception of the season and fourth of the playoffs in the fourth quarter to set up the Tribe’s final touchdown.
It was first-and-10 on the Permian 17 and Howard tried to hit split end Richy Ross. Weber darted in front and the ball hit him right in the bread basket.
“I recognized the formation and knew they were probably going to throw my way. At first I thought I had dropped the ball. I just made sure I had a good hold on it. I didn’t want to give the ball back to them”, said Weber.
The two-time All-District 22-4A linebacker said he never thought about breaking for any lengthy return.
“Permian was too quick for anybody to do something like that. About all I had time to do was make one little step and they were on me,” said Weber.
Outside linebacker Gary Geoffroy applied the coup de grace with 3:10 left in the ball game.
Permian had first-and-10 at the PN-G 27 and Howard tried to go to Ross on a short pattern. Geoffroy snared the ball at the 17 and returned it 11 yards. It was his second interception of the playoffs and the second of the season. “Anybody could have done it.” said Geoffroy modestly.
The theft was PN-G’s 30th of the season, a school record. Earlier in the year Geoffroy had been fretting about not having intercepted a pass because he had three as a backup linebacker last year. But not any more. “Hey, I’ll take these two and forget about the rest.”, said Geoffroy who stole a pass against San Antonio Lee in the semifinals and returned it for a touchdown.
While the PN-G defense came up with their usual big plays and supplied the seven-point cushion, the offense did put another two TDs on the board.
Ethridge, whose first quarter dash gave the Tribe their first TD, also sneaked in from one yard for the clincher.
The play was called to the strong side but the son of PN-G head coach instead followed a block by quick tackle Karl Segura.
“I saw the hole and I followed the block. It was a big play because we’d run the play earlier in the day and barely made the first down by an inch,” said Ethridge.
While they were unpiling the stack Segura was having a verbal battle with Permian defensive guard Allen Jenkins. “The guy was pinching my leg and trying to bite me on the arm. I couldn’t believe it. I was just trying to jerk away from him,” said the senior tackle.
“It’s all over now I even shook hands with him after the game When you are a state champion, nothing bothers you,” added Segura.
Source: The PA News, December 21, 1975
