By Avi Zaleon Updated 10:03 am, Friday, October 18, 2013
For once, antonyms are getting along.
Friendly rivalry. Nederland, Port Neches-Groves.
“Most of the rivalries you hear about, there’s a lot of hatred, but the Nederland and PN-G parents (go to) work together,” said PN-G coach Brandon Faircloth.
“It’s an interesting rivalry in that respect. We have kids on our team whose parents played at Nederland. They have kids on their team whose parents played at PN-G. There’s a dynamic there that not everybody else’s rivalry gets to have.”
Faircloth admits he was surprised his first year coaching the Indians.
He knew of the Mid-County Madness rivalry, which he calls the best high school football rivalry in Texas, but he was not expecting so much mutual respect.
At the end of PN-G’s win against Nederland that year, Faircloth remembers purple meshing with black and gold.
“It’s a 90-year-old rivalry, but for the 20 or so years I’ve been involved with it, it’s been classy and hard-fought,” said Nederland coach Larry Neumann. “Not long after the game, it’s amazing how quickly the communities come together.”
Later that season, when the Indians were in the playoffs, their cross-town foes followed to watch.
“The first year we had Nederland people at our playoff game,” Faircloth said. “I saw the black and gold, and I don’t know if they were rooting for us, but they were there.”
About five miles separate the two high schools.
With one community starting when the other ends, overlap is inevitable.
“I think it’s familiarity,” Faircloth said. “Our parents know most of their kids ,and their parents know most of our kids. A lot of folks go to the same churches, grew up together, played Little League.”
It extends to workers in the refineries and marriages. There is even “espionage” at each school.
Brian Noel teaches senior English at PN-G but is also the father to Nederland starting kicker Tanner Noel.
“Even though I’m sitting on the Nederland side, I’m watching kids that are in my class,” Brian said. “I know them and I take pride when they make a play. Even though they’re playing Nederland, somewhere inside, I’ll be happy when something good happens for them.”
He said that though the rivalry is taken very seriously by the kids, it is a bigger deal to adults from the area because of the imaginary line that once existed between the two communities.
“It’s different from when I went to Nederland,” he said. “It was them and us (then). I didn’t know anybody at PN-G, but now, a lot of these kids are friends with each other.”
While some rivalries spawn pranks worthy of arrest or name-calling not suitable for television, the most noticeable aspects of Mid-County Madness stay relatively tame.
During practice this week, PN-G (4-2, 2-1 in District 20-4A) put “BEAT NEDERLAND” on its scoreboard.
On Wednesday, Nederland High School (5-1, 3-0) held its annual PN-G Nerd Day. Thursday, the Indians did the same, dressing as nerdy Nederland fans.
Some Nederland football players abstained, saying they don’t wear purple under any circumstances.
Tonight, the madness renews at Bulldog Stadium. Some spectators will have to stand because of the number of people.
Neumann predicts both the home and away stands will be packed.
“We love playing at home, don’t get me wrong,” Neumann said. “But I don’t know if there’s home-field advantage for anybody. When we play over there, it doesn’t feel like we’re away from home. I’m sure they feel the same way here.”
