By Raymond A. Partsch III
Published 6:24 am, Wednesday, September 4, 2013
“Are you a 5th place team?”
That is the question members of the Port Neches-Groves football team face every day. Anytime a player arrives for that day’s practice or to lift weights, he comes face-to-face with that question, which is posted on a banner that hangs in the Indians locker room.
PN-G head coach Brandon Faircloth is responsible for the banner.
“We wanted to put a chip on their shoulder every day at practice and for every game day,” said Faircloth, who is entering his fifth season with the Indians. “We have to improve every week and keep proving them wrong. It makes victory so much sweeter.”
The banner is a response to a preseason prediction in Dave Campbell’s 2013 Texas Football magazine. In the publication, PN-G was predicted to finish in fifth place in District 20-4A and miss out on the playoffs.
“Everybody doubts us,” said Chris Mangini, a three-year starter at nose guard. “Proving people wrong is the best feeling ever.”
Most seasons, PN-G is dealing with high expectations. In Faircloth’s first three seasons, the team went a combined 26-10 and made the playoffs each year – reaching the second round twice.
Last season, though, the team
went a disappointing 2-8 and missed out on the postseason for the first time since 2008.
“Anytime you have a disappointing year like we had it serves as motivation,” said Faircloth. “A big difference from last year and this year is that those guys are now experienced.”
