Tom Halliburton | BeaumontEnterprise.com
October 6, 2018
Roschon Johnson’s legacy at Port Neches-Groves High School added another fascinating chapter Friday night as the senior quarterback guided his team past Vidor, 38-32 at Indian Stadium.
The University of Texas pledge ran for four touchdowns, threw for another, and put the Pirates away with a game-winning score on a three-yard run with 1:28 to play.
Johnson ran for 196 yards and threw for 112 more, having a hand or a leg in 308 of PN-G’s 365 total yards.
“We were fortunate at the end,” a relieved PN-G coach Brandon Faircloth said. “When you have Roschon Johnson from three yards away, you have a chance.”
Vidor owned the stronger ground game and the weaker aerial show as usual. The Pirates led the Indians in rushing 342-253 but countered with an 0-for-7 night in the air.
WHAT HAPPENED
The shootout contained the unique flavor of five successful two-point conversions in five straight attempts. The game was tied at 8-all, 16-all (at half), 24-all and 32-all with 6:01 to play.
That’s when the Indians started a 70-yard, 10-play winning touchdown drive. Johnson shared the load on that march with running back Jaylan Williams and receiver Peyton Proenza. Replacing starter Gavin Deslatte at tailback, Williams ran twice for 34 yards and Johnson six times for 23 yards.
Proenza converted the only third down play in the series, grabbing a 13-yard play-action toss at Vidor’s 32 and receiving quite a pop after the catch from Vidor safety Erik Hauver.
Johnson followed junior blockers Jaylen Garth and Abraham Reyes into the end zone for the game-winning score after four straight running plays advanced the Indians from the 32 to the 3.
Vidor replied by moving the ball to its own 46, but PN-G senior defender David Minter sacked Pirates passer Gage Galloway for a seven-yard loss on 4th and 10 with 6.7 seconds to play.
TURNING POINT
A critical moment arrived with 1:22 left in the third quarter, finding PN-G on the misfortune of an injury. Roschon Johnson kept the ball on a two-point conversion run, giving the Indians a 32-24 advantage. Unfortunately for PN-G, starting tailback Deslatte had to be assisted off the field with a painful ankle sprain.
The injury opened the door for Jaylan Williams to provide an extra spark on PN-G’s game-winning drive.
“Jaylan came in and made a difference with those fresh legs,” Faircloth said.
Johnson scored 10 touchdowns in last year’s epic 72-69 bidistrict win against Crosby. His head coach noticed somewhat of a similar pattern to this game.
“It really was a little bit like that in the way that it was back and forth, except this game had a couple of more defensive stops,” Faircloth said. “It was a great game by Vidor’s offense, and they have a great one. It’s going to be extremely tough for anyone to do that much to stop them.”
RECORDS: Vidor 3-2, 0-2; Port Neches-Groves 3-2, 2-0.
NEXT UP: Santa Fe at Vidor (homecoming), Friday at 7:30 p.m.; PN-G at Crosby, Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Tom Halliburton is a freelance writer
