Danny Shapiro | BeaumontEnterprise.com
Published 4:12 pm CDT, Monday, August 7, 2017
Favorite
Three teams – Port Arthur Memorial, Port Neches-Groves and Vidor – tied for the district championship a season ago but no team returns as much talent as Memorial. Keitha Jones, an SMU commit, shifts from receiver to quarterback and will have a host of talented skill position players, including Louisiana Tech running back commit Elijah Hines (1,642 rushing yards, 26 touchdowns in 2016) at his disposal. Memorial’s defense allowed 14 points or fewer in nine games last season and returns seven starters.
Next in line
Port Neches-Groves junior quarterback and Texas commit Roschon Johnson (3978 total yards, 56 TDs) is the reigning 22-5A MVP and is talented enough to keep the Indians in any game. Most of Johnson’s offensive line is graduated but standouts Preston Riggs (1,045 total yards, 9 TDs) and Preston Hughes (1,053 yards, 11 TDs) return. Defensively, there are question marks with just five starters coming back but the offense is powerful enough to have PN-G in district title contention.
Dark horse
Vidor surprised last season and took a share of the district title for the first time since 1978. With eight starters returning on defense and the Slot-T offense an easy system to learn in Jeff Mathews’ 19th season, the Pirates could contend again. Vidor’s biggest question, coincidentally, is the quarterback position. Maverick Quirante, the 22-5A Offensive MVP, made the Pirates’ offense go last season but is graduated. Finding a replacement with his impact will be a challenge.
Best of the rest
Nederland won five-straight district titles before a fifth-place finish last season. Monte Barrow takes over for longtime coach Larry Neumann and has one of the district’s best running backs in Devon Simmons (909 rushing yards, 10 TDs). Central should have a top defense in the district and Lumberton was a pair of one-score losses away from making the playoffs for a second-straight season.
Players to watch
Roschon Johnson, Jr., QB, Port Neches-Groves
Johnson elevated himself to the district’s top player after a record-setting sophomore season. The Texas commit added 15 pounds of muscle in the offseason and will likely retain his spot as the top player in the district if he stays healthy.
Jomard Valsin, Sr., LB, Port Arthur Memorial
Valsin, at 6-foot-2 and 230 pounds, anchors a big Memorial defense that allowed 13 points per game last season. Valsin has 4.7 speed and had 67 tackles, including 10 sacks, in 2016.
Christian Mitchell, Sr., WR, Livingston
Mitchell was a big reason Livingston’s transition to District 22-5A last season went smoothly. The senior had 20 total touchdowns and averaged 28 yards per catch as the Lions missed out on a playoff spot after losing a tiebreaker to Central.
Games to watch
Port Arthur Memorial vs. Port Neches-Groves
7 p.m. Oct. 20, PN-G
The two teams played for the first time last season, with Memorial winning 33-28. It was PN-G’s only district loss and having the game at home, where almost 15,000 fans will pack the stands, should give the Indians an advantage. Don’t be surprised if this game determines the district champion.
Memorial vs. Vidor
7 p.m. Nov. 10, Memorial
A rivalry between Memorial and Vidor is growing after last season’s game, a 31-21 Vidor win. Memorial wants revenge and has this game circled on its schedule, according to coach Kenny Harrison. Vidor understands it too after spoiling Memorial’s perfect season. The two contrasting styles – Vidor is a Slot-T team while Memorial runs a more pass-heavy offense – is always a treat to watch.
PN-G vs. Nederland
7 p.m. Nov. 10, Nederland
Southeast Texas’ most-anticipated game returns to Nederland for the first time since 2014. PN-G snapped a six-game losing streak last season with a 41-21 win. Barrow, who played for Nederland from 1983-85 and has been an assistant at the school since 1993, will be coaching a Mid-County Madness game for the first time.
Bonus note
Following Neumann’s retirement in the offseason, Mathews became the longest-tenured head coach in the district and in Southeast Texas. Conversely, there are three first-year coaches in the district – Barrow at Nederland, Jeff Nelson at Central and Tim Finn at Baytown Lee.
