Posted: Wednesday, November 5, 2014 9:19 pm
Gabe Pruett – PA News
PN-G senior running back Brant Halfin is wrapping up one of the top 10 careers ever had by an Indians runner.
There are hundreds of Texas high school football teams that would gladly switch with the Port Neches-Groves Indians who carry a 6-3 record, and after this week are headed to the playoffs.
PN-G, though, enters Friday’s game at The Reservation against Vidor on the downer of a 29-21 double overtime loss to Beaumont Central. A win would have secured a share of the District 22-5A title for the Indians with the Nederland Bulldogs.
Last Saturday’s loss means the Indians are 0-3 against what many would consider PN-G’s biggest games of the season — West Orange-Stark, Nederland and Central. Two of the three losses were in overtime and all three were in doubt until the game’s final play.
The latest down-to-the wire setback is one senior running back Brant Halfin said hopefully will not haunt the Indians for very long.
“There is no doubt in my mind we can win a big game,” Halfin said. “Not many teams have two chances to win a district championship. We did and unfortunately we lost them both. I feel we do have something to prove. We are still that team that can put up big numbers and our defense can get big stops. I am looking forward to proving it by going deep in the playoffs this year.”
Coach Brandon Faircloth said there was no shame in this past Saturday’s loss to the Jaguars. His Indians in the last two years have played five overtimes against Central, with a 1-1 record in those games. PN-G won 31-29 last year in triple overtime against the Jaguars.
“We have a lot of season left,” Faircloth said. “When you lose in double overtime, you really have no reason to hang your head, especially when the opponent is Central. I don’t think I have been more proud of the kids in my six years here. It didn’t go our way the whole day. They stayed with it, made some plays and played in double overtime. Nobody walks away from that game with their heads hanging low.”
Ky Walker, senior defensive back, said he and his teammates do feel a bit of disappointment in knowing one of the Indians main goals — winning a district title — will go unfilled in 2014.
“We lived by those goals,” Walker said. “We wanted to go undefeated all year. Nobody ever wants to lose any game. It is upsetting. We can’t hang on to the past. We have a game this Friday and we have to look forward to that game and then get ready for the playoffs.”
Walker said the Central loss is something that can happen to almost any good team as it goes through the grind of a regular season.
“We couldn’t all click at the same time,” Walker said. “When the offense was scoring, the defense was giving up big plays to Central. When the defense got stops, the offense couldn’t score. It was just one of theose games.”
Halfin said the Indians cannot totally forget the double overtime loss.
“You can’t just throw the game away,” Halfin said. “We look back to the game and correct our mistakes. We become better players off a loss. We really wanted to win that game. It is like having a bad play, you move on to the next play. You have a bad game, you move on to the next game. You forget about it but you have to remember where you messed up so you can become a better football player.”
Speaking of the playoffs, the Indians are fans of Beaumont Ozen this week and not Goose Creek Memorial. If Ozen beats Goose Creek, the Indians will be the Division II No. 1 seed and will likely play Dayton. Dayton is not considered as potent as teams like CE King and Crosby.
First, the Indians must face a Vidor team which presents its usual unique problem for the defense. The Pirates, under Jeff Mathews, run a Slot T offense that PN-G has not seen since Week 8 of last year.
“It is something different,” Walker said. “In my opinion, what defines greatness is how you take adversity and how you overcome that. Our defense, if I am being honest, we are great. It shows out on the field and it shows during practice.”
The Vidor game will be the last time Halfin, Walker and other PN-G seniors play under the lights of The Reservation — unless the Indians get a playoff game at home.
Friday will certainly be special for this duo, considering the two moved to PN-G from Hamshire-Fannett as sophomores.
“It is hard to fathom and to take in right now,” Halfin said. “I am hoping for a good game for our team and personally. It is the last time we will play here and it has been honor to play here. I want to go out with a bang.”
Walker echoed Halfin’s remarks.
“This place is ridiculous,” Walker said. “We both came from Fannett. Hamshire-Fannett is not a bad place at all but it is not Port Neches-Groves. Nobody in the state of Texas is. To come out here and play, it’s insane for it to be coming to an end. It is a little upsetting for this is our last game here but I hope we all have great games so there will be something people will remember us by.”
INDIAN INKLINGS: The Port Neches-Groves Indians have a new record holder for receiving touchdowns in a season and his name is Kaleb Sparks. Sparks has 13 touchdowns this season, topping Jayce Nelson’s 12 in 2010. Sparks is also third in receiving yards for a season with 1,069. Second is Nelson with 1,140 in 2010. Jeremiah Rose is No. 1with 1,176 in 2013. Sparks’ 64 receptions are tied for fourth with Rose for most catches in a year. Third place is held by Nelson with 77 receptions in 2010…Brant Halfin has 2,384 reasons to smile because that is his career rushing mark at PN-G. The number places him in eighth place for all-time rushing yards at PN-G. Seventh is Caleb Harmon with 2,436 from 2008 to 2009…Quarterback Adam Morse has 168 completions this year — fourth most for a QB in PN-G history. Travis Miller is third with 176 in 2011. Morse’s 2,433 yards are still third behind Dustin Long’s 3,087 yards in 1999 and Brennan Doty’s 2,868 yards in 2010. His 26 touchdowns are also third behind Doty and Long. Doty had 29 in 2010 and Long had 28 in 1999.
Source: http://www.panews.com/sports/indians-learn-from-past-losses/article_c56efdd8-6563-11e4-b663-8ba0633d9e92.html
