By TOM HALLIBURTON
Port Arthur News Sports Writer
Port Neches-Groves and Thomas Jefferson – proud, successful football programs with great traditions – they always have had plenty of able quarterbacks…. until now.
Whether anyone can excel at quarterback may be the deciding factor in this 20-4A elimination game of sorts Saturday night at 7:30 in Memorial Stadium.
PN-G (3-3 and 0-1) has to deal with coming oh-so-close in a 7-0 district-opening loss last week to West Orange-Stark.
TJ (4-2 and 0-1) must bounce back immediately from a much-closer-than-it-looks 31-3 setback in its district opener with Nederland.
The quarterback circumstances rightfully receive the spotlight right now at two programs where Dustin Long, Todd Dodge, Greg Davis, Craig Stump and other outstanding passers fill their school’s football history.
PN-G has shuffled quarterbacks in the last few weeks after pre-season injuries sidelined seniors Tony Bowser and Cody Elkins. Junior Kirk Hallmark started the first four weeks but moved to wide receiver for the fifth game at Vidor.
When PN-G barely survived a 14-10 scare at Vidor, Hallmark returned to QB for the WO-S game last week. Bowser moved into the backup spot and Elkins decided to exit the squad.
TJ’s QB shuffle is even more recent. A collarbone injury to quarterback Terrance Gage has left TJ’s starter as extremely doubtful to suit out tonight. Gage has started all six TJ games to date at quarterback.
Since sophomore sensation James Johnson so effectively has filled in as TJ’s tailback in recent weeks, Jackets’ assistant head coach Al Celaya has decided this week to keep Johnson at tailback and start senior Tony Tompkins at quarterback.
District 20-4A’s second-leading rusher, Tompkins started the season’s first six games at tailback but his speed definitely has added an extra dimension to the Jackets’ offense in practice.
“It’s looked real good in practice,” Celaya said. “We like what we see there. We’ve added some things (to TJ’s offense) to involve Tony more as a quarterback. We’re going to try to take advantage of the situation.
“One of the things was that we wanted to find a way to get Tony and James on the field at the same time. It’s looked real good in practice.”
Celaya began to want Tompkins and Johnson on the field together after Johnson wowed Beaumont Ozen with a breakout 135-yard rushing night. Johnson has gained 178 yards in 25 carries in TJ’s last two games against Ozen and Nederland. That’s an impressive 7.1 yards a carry.
Celaya’s personnel decision simplified itself after Gage injured his collarbone against Nederland.
“We had been contemplating some changes,” Celaya said. “I know we’re a lot better football team than that 31-3 score indicated.”
Gage proved his ability to be an accurate passer during the summer 7-on-7 schedule. The 5-9 junior has faced the difficult task of throwing over much taller defensive linemen. Gage completed 31 of 59 for 414 yards, three interceptions and three touchdowns prior to his injury.
Quarterbacks and kicking games may decide this backyard battle because the offensive and defensive stats of the teams can show only tiny differences. TJ owns the edge in total offense by 34 yards a game, 257.7-223.7, while PN-G enters with the 24-yard total defense edge, 201.3-225.7.
Just as the 7-0 score with WO-S suggested, the PN-G defense has remained a playoff-caliber unit with standout linebackers Trayce Boudoin and Cody Clark as well as four quality defensive linemen, Justin Mercer, Michael Brignac, Jeremy Davis and Jared Gary.
PN-G’s offense is not without weapons – flanker Joey Price, tailback Jeff Bergeron and fullback Boudoin. While TJ would benefit from a taller Gage, PN-G would benefit from a more experienced Hallmark at quarterback.
Head coach Matt Burnett is pleased with his junior’s physical tools. Hallmark’s struggles can be traced mostly to inexperience. One of these nights – and it may be tonight – Hallmark will blend his height and strong arm with enough experience to become a more effective weapon at quarterback. When he does, it suddenly makes Price, Bergeron, Boudoin and the supporting cast that much more effective.
“Kirk made some great passes for us last week,” Burnett said of Hallmark, who has hit 33 of 95 passes for 427 yards with five interceptions and one touchdown.
FAST FACTS
· When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
· Where: Memorial Stadium, Port Arthur
· Radio: KOLE-AM (1340)
· Records: Port Neches-Groves, 3-3, 0-1; Thomas Jefferson 4-2, 0-1
· Series: Thomas Jefferson leads 29-16-1
· Last year: Port Neches-Groves, 59-7
PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS
INDIANS OFFENSE
SE – Jonathan Lumbley (10)
LT – Colin Anderson (61)
LG – Raymond Melancon (65)
C – Paul O’Rourke (52)
RG – Elliot Adams (50)
RT – Joseph Hollis (75)
TE – Jeremy Davis (80)
QB – Kirk Hallmark (12)
FB – Trayce Boudoin (46)
TB – Jeff Bergeron (24)
FL – Joey Price (8)
JACKETS DEFENSE
SE – Kevin Everett (88)
LT – Bryon West (76)
NT – Kenneth Hunt (43)
WE – Josh Stephens (34)
SLB – Richard Senegal (21)
MLB – Adrian Johnson (44)
WLB – Anthony Charles (2)
LCB – Dyshea James (20)
RCB – Ronzell Lavergne (5)
SS – Ronnie Hayes (7)
FS – Gabriel Ruff (24)
JACKETS OFFENSE
SE – Ronzell Lavergne (5)
LT – Nick Benton (78)
LG – Cal Scott (63)
C – Gerald Bergeron (55)
RG – Aaron Bergeron (75)
RT – Van-Shawn Lyons (79)
TE – Kevin Everett (88)
QB – Tony Tompkins (1)
FB – Justin Lanes (41)
TB – James Johnson (29)
FL – Wayman Harrison (8)
INDIANS DEFENSE
LE – Justin Mercer (56)
LT – Michael Brignac (82)
RT – Jeremy Davis (80)
RE – Jared Gary (81)
LOLB – Jeff LeBlanc (21)
LILB – Trayce Boudoin (46)
RILB – Cody Clark (34)
ROLB – Adam LeDoux (5)
LCB – Keegan Swann (26)
RCB – Adam Guillory (88)
FS – Troy Cooley (11)
