Yes. Take the good from it and move forward.
Indians lost the game. But they were not intimidated or dominated. A tough Indians team made outstanding plays all night. The final score was not indicative of the play on the field.
On defense the Indians held the other team to a season low in rushing yards, holding their star running back duo to 77 yards on 26 carries. After they ran for nearly 500 yards the previous game. Far from the best rushing performance the Indians faced this year. They were also held to their second lowest point total of the season. With the proven PNG offense featuring Bailey moving the ball and clock, it’s not a stretch that a tired Indian defense would not have yielded 14 points and the padded stats in the fourth quarter.
Without a healthy Conner Bailey at the helm, this game goes in the history book with an asterisk because he would have been able to distribute the ball to his receivers as he did all season, Henry and Diaz would have been running less against a stacked defense, and the balanced PNG offense would have rounded out the great performance of the PNG defense. But neither team will ever know what that game would have looked like.
Great PNG fan support, great PNG halftime performance and great representation overall. It’s what Texas high school football is all about. Not all the other nonsense. But every team wins some and loses some. Now it’s time to move on, celebrate a great 2025 season and team, and look forward to a great 2026 team which will include a lot of returning stars and the addition of a fantastic homegrown freshman class. All coached by one of the best 5AD2 staff in the entire state. And on the verge of having some great new facilities that will make the offseason even more effective. They’ll be back.