By David Thompson | BeaumontEnterprise.com
Published 12:18 am, Saturday, September 10, 2016
Port Neches-Groves passed its first test of District 22-5A Friday with a 34-14 win over Lumberton at Raider Stadium.
WHAT HAPPENED
With the game tied at 14 midway through the third quarter, the Indians rallied to score 20 unanswered points to secure the win and move to 1-0 in District 22-5A as the head into a bye week.
PN-G sophomore quarterback Roschon Johnson had a hand in all five of his teams’ touchdowns, including scores on runs of 3 and 4 yards in the fourth quarter. Johnson also connected with running back Preston Hughes for an 18-yard touchdown catch with 4:49 left in the third quarter to break the 14-14 tie. PN-G took a 14-7 lead after the first quarter behind rushing touchdowns of 11 and 1 yards from Johnson. The Indians, however, surrendered a touchdown on offense after Lumberton senior defensive back Jackson Lloyd scooped up a Preston Hughes fumble with 3:03 left in the first and rumbled into the end zone from 39 yards out. Neither team managed to score in the second quarter as the Indians squandered favorable field position and failed to convert a 24-yard field goal with 3:48 left in the half.
TURNING POINT
The chants of “PN-G, RIP” reverberated through Raider Stadium after Lumberton tied the score at 14-14 with 6:59 left in the third quarter on a 3-yard run from Lumberton senior quarterback Brett Marcantel. Johnson silenced the crowd for good on the ensuing drive. The sophomore found junior wide receiver Preston Riggs – who finished with four catches for 90 yards – on a 44-yard pass down the middle of the field to the Raiders’ 2-yard-line. A fumbled snap and a penalty backed PN-G to their own 18, but Johnson avoided the Lumberton blitz on a 3rd-and-13 play and found Hughes open in the end zone to push the score to 21-14.
WHAT STOOD OUT
PN-G’s defense did an impressive job containing Lumberton’s running game, which finished with a season-low 116 total yards and did not produce an individual rusher over 50 yards. Both Marcantel and Lumberton senior running back Keaton Upshaw both finished with 45 rushing yards.
HE SAID IT
“Lumberton is going to beat some teams in this district,” PN-G coach Brandon Faircloth said. “They are a very good football team. Coach (Chris) Babin does a great job with his team and anytime we play Lumberton we know it’ll be a battle.”
BY THE NUMBERS
Johnson finished the game with 83 rushing yards and four touchdowns while adding 145 yards on 11-of-20 passing. Hughes had a game-high 104 rushing in the win and caught four passes for 32 yards. Marcantel finished with 51 yards on 6-of-14 passing.
RECORDS
Port Neches-Groves (3-0, 1-0); Lumberton (1-1, 1-0)
UP NEXT
Lumberton heads to Livingston next Friday; Port Neches-Groves has a bye.
