By I.C. Murrell | PANews.com
Published 10:40 pm Friday, October 5, 2018
PORT NECHES — When the Vidor Pirates take off, they take off.
The same can be said about Roschon Johnson.
Port Neches-Groves’ standout quarterback rushed for four touchdowns, including the go-ahead with 1:28 left, and the Indians remained unbeaten in District 12-5A Division II with a 38-32 win over Vidor on Friday night.
“We were very fortunate to have the ball last,” Indians coach Brandon Faircloth said. “That’s just how it kind of worked out.”
PNG (3-2, 2-0 in 12-5A-II) did have it last, to kneel out the final 6.7 seconds after lineman David Minter sacked Vidor quarterback Gage Galloway on fourth-and-5 for a 7-yard loss to the Pirates’ 44.
Vidor (3-2, 0-2) had gone 29 yards from its own 22 in 11 plays before Minter’s stop.
“I went in on defense that last play hoping something would happen on the d-line,” said Johnson, who acted as a free safety. “[Minter] stepped up big in a clutch situation.”
Faircloth said Minter “plays with his heart” and never quits on a drive.
“On fourth down, we had to have a stop right there,” Faircloth said. “He fights his way through there to find the quarterback. It was an amazing play.”
Johnson ran 24 times for 198 yards and completed 8 of 18 passes for 117 yards and a touchdown with an interception. With the help of two key Jaylan Williams runs (21 and 12 yards), Johnson orchestrated a game-winning 10-play, 70-yard series that lasted 4 minutes, 33 seconds.
“We just kept pounding at them,” Johnson said. “When we got the ball, we knew we had to take advantage of it. So, we just kept pounding and kept getting yards.”
Vidor, which had 328 rushing yards and none passing (0 for 6), strung two long series in the second quarter resulted in touchdowns after punting on its first three series.
The Indians struggled to get the offense going on the next three series after scoring on four plays in 52 seconds on the opening drive.
Jose Ceja came up with two miracle catches in the first half. The PNG senior wideout caught a ricochet off of an intended receiver and a Vidor defender and turned it into a 26-yard completion that set up Johnson’s 32-yard touchdown run to open the scoring.
Johnson had a hand in all but 2 of the Indians’ 155 first-half yards. He rushed for 63 yards, and Gavin Deslatte ran for the other 2 yards.
Vidor punted on its first three possessions before stringing an almost 4-minute, nine-play, 64-yard scoring drive. Brad Nunez, who had 34 yards on seven carries, pulled off back-to-back 16-yard runs and scored from 1 yard out with 8:51 left in the second quarter. Nunez also ran for the extra two points.
Ceja juggled and caught a 12-yard TD pass from Johnson, who accounted for four successful two-point conversions. Galloway scored from 5 yards out and completed the tying two-point conversion to Grant Johnson with 1:47 left before halftime to make it 16-all.
Johnson had three TD runs in the second half, but PNG and Vidor engaged in a back-and-forth contest all night.
Brad Nunez, who rushed 21 times for 151 yards, went 27 yards for a touchdown and the third quarter. In the fourth, Galloway went for 22 yards on third-and-4 to set up Kelby Odom’s 1-yard TD carry with 6:01 remaining.
The game changed when …
The Indians converted just one first down on its three series combined following the opening drive. The Pirates finally got going on offense with their first scoring drive, setting up a back-and-forth battle.
The game ball goes to …
Johnson for his hand in all five PNG touchdowns.
Next up …
PNG visits Crosby next Friday, as Vidor hosts Santa Fe.
Indians 38, Pirates 32
Vidor 0 16 8 8 — 32
PNG 8 8 16 6 — 38
First quarter
PNG — Roschon Johnson 32 run (R. Johnson run), 11:08
Second quarter
Vidor — Brad Nunez 1 run (Nunez run), 8:51
PNG — Jose Ceja 12 pass from R. Johnson (R. Johnson run), 5:50
Vidor — Gage Galloway 5 run (Grant Johnson pass from Galloway), 1:47
Third quarter
PNG — R. Johnson 2 run (Peyton Proenza pass from R. Johnson), 5:45
Vidor — Nunez 27 run (Nunez run), 3:40
PNG — R. Johnson 18 run (R. Johnson run), 1:22
Fourth quarter
Vidor — Kelby Odom 1 run (Nunez run), 6:01
PNG — R. Johnson 3 run (run failed), 1:28
Vidor PNG
First downs 14 13
Rushes-yards 51-328 33-249
Passing yards 0 117
Total yards 328 366
Comp-Att-Int 0-6-0 8-18-1
Fumbles-lost 1-0 0-0
Penalties-yards 6-58 5-35
Individual statistics
RUSHING — Vidor: Nunez 21-151, Galloway 13-69, Zach Dahlenburg 5-52, Odom 10-40, Cree Simmons 2-7, Jackson LaPray 1-6, G. Johnson 1-3. PNG: R. Johnson 24-198, Jaylan Williams 4-44, Deslatte 4-12, TEAM 1-(-5).
PASSING — Vidor: Galloway 0-6-0. PNG: Johnson 8-18-1, 117.
RECEIVING — PNG: Ceja 3-47, Wuenschel 2-33, Proenza 2-28, Cooper Hammond 1-9.
