PAnews.com, Port Arthur, Texas
November 23, 2010
Tom Halliburton
The Port Arthur News
PORT NECHES – A seventh state football finalist appearance and a fourth state title would top the list of records craved by these 2010 Port Neches-Groves players.
Make no mistake about priorities here. The team goal drives the purple and white vehicle.
Yet it’s already beginning to look a lot like a record-breaking season for PN-G football in countless other categories.
Those records may cause record-keeper Kyle Segura to involve his whole family and his fellow assistant coaches as they calculate all the various single-game and single-season marks.
Trust us, Kyle will be more occupied with this chore in the upcoming off-season than ever.
At least four PN-G individual records have been shattered. A fourth has been equaled and three more prominent numbers are within close reach.
By compiling 105 receiving yards in the 50-47 Class 4A Division 2 area-round victory over Willis, Indians junior wide receiver Jayce Nelson has become PN-G’s first-ever 1,000-yard-plus receiver in a season. Nelson has lofted his season total to 1,023 yards.
One of Dustin Long’s favorite receivers, Cody Coburn, whose twin brother Jody also caught passes from long, owned the previous single-season mark in 1999 with 929 receiving yards.
The most-awesome number of the new records likely belong to senior inside receiver Amir Jalali who has caught a school-record 88 passes this season. Nelson has 67 receptions. Each has more than surpassed the previous school mark of 54 held by Coburn.
Indians head coach Brandon Faircloth offered a sensible explanation for Nelson’s greater yardage numbers (1,023 to Jalali’s 920) and Jalali’s larger reception number (88 to Nelson’s 67).
“The outside receivers run much deeper routes,” Faircloth said. “That’s why Nelson’s yards are more and Jalali’s are less.”
The earliest PN-G record-smasher in 2010 came when senior quarterback Brennan Doty set a single-game passing-yardage mark, throwing for 377 yards at Nederland. That total surpassed Jay Musser’s 360-yard outing, also against Nederland.
If the elusive Nelson can catch one more touchdown ball in 2010, the junior acrobat will become the sole owner of PN-G’s record for most touchdown receptions in a season. Nelson and Cody Coburn (in 1998) are currently tied with 11 TD catches apiece.
Two former Indians shared the mark for most single-game receptions with 12 prior to this season – Thomas Bell in 2001 and Jimmy Burnett in 1949. Jalali had 12 to open this season against Gregory-Portland. Nelson bettered that number with 13 at Nederland. Jalali snatched back the mark with 14 just three weeks later against LC-M.
Now let’s switch to a few numbers within reach of PN-G players in the immediate or near future.
One more touchdown pass would enable Doty to duplicate Dustin Long’s remarkable sum of 28 touchdown passes in 1999.
Much attention was credited to last year’s rushing sensation, Caleb Harmon, for becoming the second-highest single-season rusher ever at PN-G. There’s every reason to believe that junior tailback Chase Bertrand should become the second-highest single-season rusher ever to play for the Indians after this Saturday’s 4A Division 2 regional-round game against Manvel in Baytown’s Stallworth Stadium at 7 p.m.
Harmon was credited with 1,818 yards when the final totals were adjusted after last season. Bertrand would duplicate that season number on Saturday with just 17 yards. His career-best 221-yard game against Willis lifted Bertrand’s season total to 1,801.
But let’s think big, Indians fans, and let’s project another record which may fall. Dustin Long’s single-season air display of 1999 reached a sum of 3,087 yards. Doty has 2,593 yards through 12 games.
Translation: If the Indians keep their eyes on the big prize, many more records may fall soon… and very soon.
Indian Inklings: Here’s the latest Faircloth brainstorm. The Indians will conduct Thursday morning’s practice from 9 to 10:30 in a most memorable way. The public is welcome and Indians fans will be encouraged to tote their lawn chairs and partake in free refreshments provided by community patrons and supported by the booster club. Davis Donuts will provide kolaches, cinnamon rolls and other goodies. Oak Farms will provide white and chocolate milk and orange juice. If you want coffee, bring your own…. PN-G also encourages its fans to attend a community-wide pep rally on Friday night in the competition gym at 6 p.m…. Congrats from the Port Arthur News to the Indians for being named the Class 4A Army Strong Team of the Week…. Indians will be the home team on Saturday night at Baytown and will sit on the west side (the press box side) of Stallworth Stadium…. Indians coaches may be accused of superstition here, but the home Indians will wear the customary road white uniforms against Manvel. Hey, who can blame Faircloth on that one. The Indians are 2-0 in the 2010 playoffs with the white uniforms…. Best news from the Willis game was the PN-G injury list would have no new additions…. Great job vs. Willis by kickoff man and place-kicker Angel Valencia, a sophomore, who was a standout freshman last winter on the soccer team. A concussion in the Barbers Hill game sidelined regular kicker Dylan Browning, enabling Valencia to kick.
