By LARRY BODIN
Port Arthur News Special Correspondent
PORT NECHES – In a knock-down, drag-out, battle-royal District 20-4A lid-lifter at the Reservation Friday night, West Orange-Stark’s defense threw an almost complete lasso around Port Neches-Groves, as the Mustangs edged the defending 4A state finalists, 7-0, before 8,000.
In the league opener for both schools, the Mustangs, with the No. 1-rated defense in the Greater Houston area, lived up to all of its advance billing and more.
Although the Indian defense spearheaded by Cody Clark, Jeremy Davis, and Adam LeDoux did an outstanding job limiting the visitors from Orange County to just 220 total yards and just nine first downs, the performance of the Mustangs’ defensive corp was even that much more sparkling.
The only score of the hard-hitting affair came with 4:00 left in the opening period when Mustang quarterback Jonathan Feathers hit wide receiver Jermaine Hope over the middle. The fleet 161-pound senior bounced off a tackler raced 55 yards for a touchdown. Frank Shuman’s PAT made it 7-0, and that where it ended three quarters later.
What happened in between was the real story of this contest. The Ponies remain unbeaten at 6-0 and take a giant step in the district race at 1-0.
“We knew it was going to be hard coming in here to open district. We just didn’t know it was gonna be this hard,” said WO-S mentor Dan Hooks. “It was a tremendously hard hitting game, and our defense was outstanding.
“Port Neches-Groves had a chance at the end, they just didn’t do it. But 7-0, I’ll take it. First district game here in Port Neches and a 7-0 win, you bet I’ll take it.”
In falling to .500 on the year at 3-3, and to 0-1 in District 20-4A play, PN-G was forced to go three-and-out on nine of its 11 series in the game. The Indians also were at a distinct disadvantage in time of possession, as the Mustangs controlled the clock, the ball, and the game for most of the entire evening.
Matt Burnett’s club managed to have the football only 19:51 of the game’s 48 total minutes.
The Mustang defense, keyed by Paul Thomas, Jermaine Hope and Tyrone Brown, also held the hosts to 135 yards total offense. And much of this, 72 yards to be exact, came in the final 3:41 of the contest when the Indians struck like a lightning bolt and drove 72 yards in four plays from their one to the WO-S 23 before derailing.
Port Neches-Groves controlled the football for more than three minutes only once in the football game. It was three-and-punt five straight times in the opening two periods. In the second half, WO-S’s defense was even stingier ,as the Indians had the football just four times in the final two periods. Their first three second half series were also three-and-out.
Even in defeat, the Indians’ Burnett was proud of his football team with the manner it battled all night long. “One play made the difference,” he said alluding to Hope’s first quarter TD reception.
“They’ve got a tremendous defense, but I thought we did the things we had to do to win the game. We did everything but win it. I was proud of our players. We have a heck of a football team, better than most think we do. People have counted our kids out, but I knew we could play like this. We’re a good football team (PN-G), just ask those guys (WO-S). They’re in shock.”
Clinging to a 7-0 lead late in the game, the Mustangs went for some razzle-dazzle in an attempt to put this one to rest. But it almost came back to haunt them.
Facing 3rd-and-12 at the Indian 25, the Ponies tried an end-around pass from Jeff Thibodeaux, but PN-G junior defensive back Keegan Swann made an outstanding interception at the one-yard line.
Though the Indians had the football, no one could imagine what would happen in the next couple of minutes, especially how throttled the PN-G offense had been for the first 45 minutes of the contest.
Junior quarterback Kirk Hallmark, who went the distance and was continually harassed by WO-S’s aggressive front four and linebackers throughout the night, dove out of the shadow of his goalline for three to the four-yard line. Hallmark, who hit on five-of-18 for 80 yards in the game, fired to Chase Miller for nine to the 13.
Then the Indian faithful, who had been pretty much silenced throughout the night by the Mustang defense, got its chance to roar. From the 13, Hallmark dropped back, found some time for one of the few instances in the game, and fired a perfect strike to a streaking Jonathan Lumbley down the left sideline for 47 yards and a first at the Mustang 40.
Not to be outdone on this night, senior Jeff Bergeron broke off his finest effort of the evening, a 17-yard scamper to the 23. And Indian fans were thinking, “do you believe in miracles?”
But such was not to be on this night as four straight incompletions followed, and the Mustangs exited with a narrow seven-point victory.
