By TOM HALLIBURTON
Port Arthur News Sports Writer
PORT NECHES — Matt Turner made sure that Jacksonville’s tradition of outstanding quarterbacks appeared alive and well Saturday night at The Reservation.
By smacking the bullseye on 19 of 27 passes for 230 yards, the senior signal caller was sharp enough that he enabled the guest Indians to defeat Port Neches-Groves at its own game, 31-17, before 9,000 Cherokee-loving fans.
Both sets of Indians departed Indian Stadium at 1-1 on this ideal football night and both contingents likely benefitted from their spirited three-hour competition, too.
When it boiled down to deciding the outcome, Jacksonville borrowed a time-honored PN-G tactic and played keepaway from the purple and white to the tune of 30:02-17:58.
It’s tough to win without the ball and coach Danny Long’s East Texas Tribe snapped the ball 74 times to 49 for coach Matt Burnett’s Golden Triangle troop.
Jacksonville earned it by moving the chains twice as often – leading in first downs, 24-12; more total yards, 371-272; fewer turnovers, 2-3.
Give PN-G’s gritty hosts plenty of credit for working overtime on defense and occasionally showing the ability to dial up big plays.
PN-G’s major big-play author undoubtedly was senior flanker/kicker Joey Price, who ran three times for 100 yards and caught four balls for 66, leading his team in both categories.
Price’s plays set up two first-half touchdowns before Joey himself hit a 28-yard field goal for a 17-14 halftime lead just 55 seconds before intermission.
But that’s back when possession time was relatively even. Jacksonville only led 12:54-11:06 in that department before the break.
“I had fun but we’ve got to get everything balanced,” Price said afterward. “We’ve got to keep the ball more. We have to be on the field more. Our defense gets too tired being out there that much.”
PN-G’s defense stayed out there so much because Jacksonville hogged the ball on consecutive 16-play drives, covering 63 and 72 yards and eating up more than seven minutes each time.
Turner is coached by an offensive coordinator with the same name, Matt Turner, but they are not related. Turner is not related to any of the McCowns (Randy, Josh and Luke either) but he is expected to sparkle and shine because he is inserted into that magical QB job in the heart of the tomato capital.
“He (Turner) made some physical errors by not throwing to the right spot but his mental game was flawless,” Jacksonville mentor Long said of his quarterback.
Does it add a greater burden on Turner to follow in Jacksonville’s line of passers?
“It gets to me every now and then,” said Turner, who never seemed to allow PN-G’s defense to get to him. “They (PN-G) never really stopped us. We stopped outselves a couple of times. I wasn’t hurried any during the game. That’s because I believe we have one of the best offensive lines in the state.”
That line solved PN-G’s defense more as the game progressed especially after a key pass interference call provided Jacksonville an automatic first down early in the critical 63-yard, 16-play drive. That series enabled the visitors to lead for good, 21-17.
Turner tossed five straight strikes on that key march, capped by a 21-yard scoring toss to a wide-open Brandon Scott with 2:57 left in the third quarter. Showing a crisp knack for faking well, Turner faked the reverse and had plenty of time to find Scott over the middle for his only touchdown pass.
PN-G answered with its own impressive response, advancing 48 yards to JHS’ 22 before Price’s 38-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right with 11:05 to play.
Since Jacksonville apparently decided the 7:04 TD possession wasn’t long enough, the blue and gold moved the ball 7:49 on the next series. Only some determined work from PN-G linebackers Jeff Leblanc, Trayce Boudoin and Cody Clark prevented another touchdown. But Nick Hooker’s 23-yard field goal increased PN-G’s deficit to 24-17 with 3:16 to play.
That’s when Jacksonville defensive back Patrick Ragsdale took over the game, intercepting two Kirk Hallmark passes, and running back the second one 28 yards for the night’s final score with 1:43 to play.
Did PN-G’s chief expect Jacksonville’s line to dominate as it did. Absolutely not, Matt Burnett said.
“I didn’t think they’d do that,” he said. “If I’d play ’em again, I’d have a different plan. I thought our defense did a great job. We never relinquished anything at the end.
“We felt we could get some pressure on them with linebacker blitzes but they picked them up… It’s not the end of the world. We will be back.”
PN-G will be back next Friday night in Humble’s Turner Stadium when it will face Humble Kingwood.
