By I.C. Murrell | PANews.com
Published 11:32 pm Friday, November 2, 2018
Port Neches-Groves had to deal with controversy to begin the week before the Bum Phillips Bowl.
Now that the week is over, PNG gets to focus solely on its big rivalry with Nederland — with a No. 1 seed on the line as originally hoped for.
Roschon Johnson rushed 36 times for 216 yards and two touchdowns and Jose Ceja caught seven passes for 144 yards and two scores Friday night as the Indians blew out Barbers Hill 31-14 in Mont Belvieu. The win capped a week that started with adversity when the District 12-5A executive committee ruled PNG (6-3, 5-1 in 12-5A-II) had to forfeit a narrow victory over Crosby for having an impermissible recording device inside the coaches’ box.
Barbers Hill admittedly turned over evidence of the device, an iPad, to the district committee. Now, the Indians are a full game ahead of the Eagles (6-3, 4-2) in district standings and will finish no worse than second.
A win in Port Neches next Friday over Nederland (9-0, 6-0) will give the Indians a share of a district championship for the fourth year in a row. Nederland won the other share at home Friday over Crosby.
Johnson completed 12 of 19 passes for 230 yards and took three sacks. Tyler Pippin had one reception for 45 yards, Peyton Proenza pulled down two for 17 yards and Cooper Hammond caught another for 9 yards.
The Indians rushed for 222 yards.
Barbers Hill quarterback Spencer Long completed 11 of 23 passes for 142 yards with an interception and rushed for 82 yards.
