PORT ARTHUR NEWS GAME OF THE WEEK: LIVINGSTON AT PN-G
By Tom Halliburton
The Port Arthur News
PORT NECHES — Once and only once will there be a first football game at The New Reservation in Port Neches-Groves.
A press box will not be functional, a jumbotron will not operate, a north end parking lot will not be open, a VIP elevator will be in the future, there will be plenty of bugs to work out with concessions and souvenir stands, but The New Reservation will host a varsity game tonight at 7:30 on schedule.
Port Neches-Groves (3-1 and 1-1) will entertain Livingston (1-2 and 1-1) on Homecoming 2008, with the Indian Sweetheart to be crowned in pre-game ceremonies. It contains a special, one-of-a-kind atmosphere even more unique than Mid-County Madness. There will be another Mid-County game next year. There will only be one first game at The New Reservation.
“This game is like our gateway into immortality,” Indians’ running back Josh Wright said, as he gazed across the bright green Fieldturf. “Regardless of the outcome, we are here and we get to be the first one to play on it.”
Wright and other Indians admitted on Thursday that they still had problems putting the 41-21 loss to Nederland out of their minds completely. If it wants to be a 20-4A champion, or a worthy 4A playoff team, each PN-G player has until 7:25 tonight to forget about the game at Nederland.
Livingston began the season as the district’s highest-rated team in the Harris poll. Coach Randy Rowe’s Lions have every intention of spoiling the party. There’s another reason besides Nederland which may work in Livingston’s favor too. Indians chief Matt Burnett has shouldered distractions galore, although the Indians’ chief has not blamed anyone about it.
Workers have checked with Matt on all sorts of regular items. Even the players have chipped in and delivered a hand on helping too. The Indians’ long-time trusty equipment man, Bryan Thibeaux, accurately compared the scene to getting ready for a wedding.
“Some of the players got to up to the press box area for the first time this afternoon,” Burnett said Thursday. “They could see clear across to the Orange bridge and the Martin Luther King bridge and it’s really exciting here.
“It’s like a brand new car… You can’t get in it and drive it, but we’re going to get in it tomorrow night with the sticker still on the car.”
Workers will continue to add more finishing touches and bring supplies all day and all evening leading up to the kickoff. Area restaurants such as Billy Joe’s Barbecue and Larry’s French Market are planning to offer fans a special local flavor when they are hungry for more than a PN-G win.
The mall atmosphere underneath the stands adds to the fans’ convenience, as well as the wide aisles, and extra-large rest room areas.
“It’s so special to know it’s here,” Burnett said. “It’s always been within our grasp. It’s been a heckuva effort by Tom Neild and the workers to give us a chance to play this game because of the two hurricanes, plus the costs of steel, and labor and gas went up after we were not able to begin the construction until February.”
Oh yeah, football… Matt may be comforted to read that the great majority of players have made the effort to stay focused on tonight’s very, very good opponent.
“We’ve been focused on Livingston pretty good,” Indians senior center Tanner Ross said.
Livingston brings a special amount of PN-G’s prideful past in its arsenal. Fifteen years as a head coach, Livingston native Rowe was hired by former Indians’ tutor Bruce Bush at Gregory-Portland. The green and white Lions line up in a slot-T that should look quite familiar to long-time Indians’ followers in their new aluminum seats.
“We’re looking forward to the opportunity because we’re very aware of the pride and tradition at PN-G,” Rowe said.
Slowly but surely, Rowe has turned Livingston’s program on a winning track over his five seasons in the Lions’ Den. Livingston won 10 games last fall for the first time ever (10-3) and beat larger neighbor Huntsville for the first time in 45 years. Burnett is well aware that Livingston serves as a very stern challenge at a most important point in the Indians’ season.
“He’s done a job of putting Livingston on the map over there,” Burnett said of Rowe. “They run a lot of misdirection and play action off it and they run some spread too. We will have to be very creative in our game plan.”
The Lions rank 5th in 20-4A total offense, 4th in defense and last in turnover ratio (minus 5). They lack any individuals among the league leaders, too. Their defensive leaders include tackles Brandon McGowen and Ricky Wagner, plus a very active set of corners — Dustin Harris and Josh Henderson. Those corners usually divide the quarterback duties, too, but Rowe would list Harris as the starting field general for tonight.
“It looked like a bomb fell around Livingston after the Hurricane (Ike),” Rowe said. “We certainly need to improve a whole lot. But we turned the ball over seven times in one of our losses (Bellville) and you can’t beat anybody when you do that.”
PN-G also is modest in most of its statistical categories except PN-G ranks 2nd among 20-4A offenses at 347 yards a game.
LIVINGSTON AT PN-G
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Indian Stadium, Port Neches
The New Reservation
Records: Livingston 1-2, 1-1; PN-G 3-1, 1-1
Series: PN-G leads 2-0
Last meeting: PN-G, 42-8, in 1996 bidistrict playoffs
Radio: KCOL-FM (92.5)
LIVINGSTON OFFENSE
QB — Dustin Harris (1)
FB — Quenton Jackson (21)
HB — Jordan Nixon (35)
TB — Keaton Parker (9)
WR — Brandon Prescott (88)
LT — Mark Reynolds (74)
LG — Robert Rippy (68)
C — Victor Matthews (51)
RG — Tommy Thinnes (61)
RT — Ben Lewis (54)
TE — Colton Wescott (43)
PN-G DEFENSE
LE — Jerin Spikes (80)
LT — Stephen Savant (75)
RT — Taylor Thompson (82)
RE — Aaron Shetley (44)
SAM — Christian Kerr (16)
WILL — Kane Benoit (12)
OLB — Blake Brooks (25)
LCB — Tyler Gizzi (15)
RCB — Shea McElduff (14)
SS — Alex Gaspard (33)
FS — Jacob Lynch (11)
PN-G OFFENSE
SE — Kyler Segura (45)
LT — Lloyd McLin (51)
LG — Lindon Hightower (72)
C — Tanner Ross (55)
RG — Dillon Harrison (67)
RT — Stephen Savant (75)
TE — Jerin Spikes (80)
QB — Harrison Tatum (8)
FB — Caleb Harmon (7)
TB — Josh Wright (9)
FL — Spencer DeRon (19)
LIVINGSTON DEFENSE
LE — Carlos Moreno (12)
LT — Ricky Wagner (68)
RT — Brandon McGowen (44)
RE — DeVantee Ryans (30)
LB — Buck Bland (34)
LB — Chris Landers (33)
LB — Ronald Bogany (8)
CB — Dustin Harris (1)
CB — Josh Henderson (15)
SS — Keaton Parker (9)
FS — Undra Holman (2)
