GAMEDAY: PN-G Indians vs. WO-S Mustangs

[IndianFan]

The Faircloth era has brought record setting offensive performances every season. His players are rewriting the PNG record books.

If you compare the last 5 seasons of the Burnett years, and first 5 Faircloth teams, the 2009-14 teams have allowed +7 points per game, and scored + 15 more points per game.

If you throw out the worst defensive seasons in that comparison, the 2009-14 teams allowed +5 points per game compared to the 2004-2008 teams. On the offensive side, after removing the worst year for each group, the comparison is 42 ppg ver 26 ppg.

If you factor in variables of strength of schedule, those numbers become less objective measurements, but the point is that there is substantial offensive improvement, and comparative defensive play.

The change from a ball control offense to a spread offense that scores quickly is an obvious factor in both comparisons.

 

[Justafan]

We have to understand the landscape has changed. It is hard for PNG to successfully compete every year against the larger schools from the Houston, Austin and DFW areas. We don't have the selection of Athletes these areas have every year.

 

[IndianFan]

It took a special group of kids and coaches in the 50s, 70s, '89 and '99 to go far. We've seen several recent seasons with some special players, but lack of speed and size usually gets the Indians. Only near perfect execution and aggression can overcome the challenges. Thus my original rant concerning the WO-S game.


It's tough to think of that core group of players on the varsity as sophomores (Morse, Giblin, Cropper, Meche, Rembert, Anniboli) not having a memorable season.

 

[prepballfan]

The memoriable season may yet be in the cards. I have a reliable source that says the kids took this loss very very hard. The motivation factor is running high. Its an unfortunate thing for TCH I imagine. Emotions are high and I think you will see a renewed sense of focus come two weeks from now.

 

[pngfan66]

Some football to chew on: WOS is not a big team, neither was last years team, WOS has GRIT and Determination and the "Don't give up mentality" PNG needs that same determination and mind set. PNG may not be a big team or have the speed of WOS, but a mind set change can bring about a different outcome to every game. I agree, the D needs to lay the hammer and make opposing offenses nervous. WOS has a reputation of laying wood on offensive players. Their reputation proceeds them. PNG needs that as well. PNG's offense really needs to be more cohesive on all aspects of the game, Catching passes, blocking, down field blocking and above all execution of each players assignment per play. If a player needs to go both ways on the field then so be it. The best players need to be out there every play.

 

[prepballfan]

Im not a big second guessing type person. I would like to see some of our players in on both sides of the ball in critical situations. I agree with that.66

 

[IndianFan]

The memoriable season may yet be in the cards. I have a reliable source that says the kids took this loss very very hard. The motivation factor is running high. Its an unfortunate thing for TCH I imagine. Emotions are high and I think you will see a renewed sense of focus come two weeks from now.

Good to hear. That's really the only response they should have.


The virtual PN-G 'Indian Nation' hurts with them. It's only a game and one loss, but it's just not in our learned DNA to take that very well.


They can come back with a vengeance. That's how we PN-G Indians, young and old, roll! ;D

 

[bandkid]

West Orange doesn't just have grit and determination, West Orange is a hard-hitting, physical team. From top to bottom - and by that I mean from the pop warner leagues all the way through the senior class - the program at West Orange is designed to ingrain those kids with endurance and athletic ability the likes of which I don't think any other program in Southeast Texas and perhaps the rest of the state really duplicates. If you took the program in place at West Orange and gave it the numbers and volume of natural talent at Memorial or West Brook, you'd be looking at the 6A state champions every year. Remember, it was just a couple of years ago that so many Mustangs were being recruited by D1 programs that playing offense against that little 4A high school with maybe 800 kids was roughly the equivalent of trying to move the ball against a D1 defense representing a university with 40,000+ students and all the boosters you can fit in the box seats. A program doesn't have that kind of success just because it's got raw talent to work with, a program has that kind of success because it systematically develops talent at every stage of a process that strings out over a decade.

At the risk of blasphemy, there is no better example of that than West Orange. There's a reason they have the history they've got over there. There's a reason West Orange has a winning record against every team in the area. There's a reason West Orange walks into games that any other 4A team with their stats wouldn't have a shot in and still comes out on stop, and as much as it gnaws on me to admit it, that reason is not just that everyone who's ever worn a zebra suit still cringes at the thought of Dan Hooks. They've got the best program in the area. We need to give them their due.

Personally, I'm glad we played the Mustangs, win or lose. I hope we keep playing the Mustangs, win or lose. We need the kind of challenge they present us to be ready for district and ultimately the playoffs - growth comes through struggle, and we need the brand of struggle they bring to the table. There is no other team in Southeast Texas that can better prepare the Indians for the season ahead. The goal now is taking the weaknesses that West Orange exposed as well as they always do and working on them until they're strengths. That is the mark of a good team, that is what this team is going to have to do if it wants to achieve its ultimate goals and that is what the PN-G fans should be looking for in the weeks ahead, not the record books from past seasons.

 

[PNG Proud]

When I was a Senior, we were predicted to have a great year too. But we lost our 2nd or 3rd game... by 1 point. That team rebounded and won out the remainder of the season, including a - win over Odessa Permian.


1 game does not make a season.

 

[Xcrystalbeachbum]

That loss was against South Houston and the Indians actually came back and beat them in the playoffs.... :duel:

 

[IndianFan]

From http://www.pngindians.com/football/history/year-by-year/



1975 (14-1-0) (365-115)
Port Neches-Groves 21, Pasadena Dobie 7
Port Neches-Groves 14, Spring Branch Stratford 7
Port Neches-Groves 16, South Houston 17
Port Neches-Groves 27, BC-P 0
Port Neches-Groves 42, French 0
Port Neches-Groves 17, Forest Park 6
Port Neches-Groves 28, Vidor 22
Port Neches-Groves 30, Thomas Jefferson 12
Port Neches-Groves 29, Lincoln 0
Port Neches-Groves 28, Nederland 6
Port Neches-Groves 6, French 2
Port Neches-Groves 32, South Houston 7
Port Neches-Groves 27, Kashmere 19
Port Neches-Groves 28, San Antonio Lee 0
Port Neches-Groves 20, Odessa Permian 10

 

[prepballfan]

What am amazing season the Indians had in 1975

 

[PNG Proud]

It's interesting to see the score differences from then and now. If you score 20 points in a championship game now, you probably lose BIG! Every playoff caliber team now days is probably putting up an average of 35-40 points.