Port_town_texas
11-06-2004, 05:00 AM
I understand the feeling right now...District champs!:Read below..
Titans claim first district crown
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By Tom Halliburton - The News Sports Writer Posted: 11/06/04 - 01:38:44 am CST
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Mike Tobias/Port Arthur News Sports Memorial receiver Eric Reynolds (6) secures a long fourth quarter pass en route to scoring the Titans' final touchdown as they shut out the West Brook Bruins 28-0.
BEAUMONT - History turned a special page Friday night as Port Arthur Memorial clinched its first piece of a district football championship in school history.
Beaumont West Brook played gallant and determined defense, making the Titans earn it patiently. But Jamaal Charles carved out 106 yards and two touchdowns, while absorbing quite a pounding in a 28-0 shutout of the Bruins at Alex Durley Stadium.
Never mind that Memorial completed its regular season a modest 6-4. Forget that coach Dean Colbert's Titans claimed a 22-5A co-championship with Spring Westfield. This remained a red-letter historic night for a Port Arthur Independent School District which has starved for gridiron success for so long.
Twenty-two years ago -- long before Charles and his teammates were born -- a PAISD school won its last district title in Class 5A. Way back in 1982, Thomas Jefferson's Yellow Jackets claimed the outright 22-5A title with an unbeaten regular season.
Then refineries collapsed. Petrochemical industry layoffs arrived in bunches. An economy and a population took a licking. Three senior high schools eventually closed, creating the birth of Memorial prior to the 2002 football season. Yes, 22 years later, Port Arthurans had reason to celebrate as the Titans completed a rugged seven-game district agenda with a 6-1 record.
The Titans also received happy tidings in Spring on Friday. By virtue of Westfield's 34-28 win over Spring, Memorial has entered the 5A Division II bracket as the 22-5A winner. The Titans will be the host team Saturday at 2 o'clock against Houston Lamar in Baytown's Stallworth Stadium.
"Becoming district champions was one of our goals," said Charles, who ended the regular season as 22-5A's rushing and scoring leader with 1,682 rushing yards and 120 points. "This team is a real special team. It's a good team to be on. We can make something happen in the playoffs.
"We joke around a lot as a football family but we put that behind us and set our minds to playing hard for 48 minutes."
West Brook may have finished 2-8 and 0-7 but the host Bruins would do their very best to introduce themselves to Charles painfully as often as possible. They had their corners pinching hard when Titans senior quarterback Donovan Porterie retreated to dial up his short-passing game.
Leading receiver Jeremy McZeal and his recent health struggle was on the minds and the lips of several Titans teammates.
"We came out focused tonight because we wanted to dedicate this game to Jeremy McZeal," senior receiver Jerrett Williams said after catching four passes for 45 yards. "Donovan's been doing a lot of short-passing and play-action lately because defenses have putting eight in the box (to contain Charles)."
Porterie completed 12 of 20 passes for 199 yards. His final throw, a 39-yard fourth-quarter rainbow to Eric Reynolds proved how much attention West Brook paid to Charles. Reynolds hauled in a season-high four receptions for a season-high 113 yards. Much of Memorial's short-passing success came off play-action.
"They were really keying on me, because every time we tried play-action, their corners were biting," Charles said.
That's exactly what Colbert, Porterie and offensive coordinator Kenny Harrison had been confronting in recent games. It's a no-brainer that Memorial realizes it needs more of the same to enjoy post-season success against a defense that contains Charles well enough.
"We're trying to improve our play-action passing game, because we're going to need that against a team that stops the run effectively," Colbert said.
Bruins head coach Al Rabb and defensive coordinator Marcus Blankenship had nothing to be ashamed of when they focused on the heart of seniors Bryan Pete and Raymond Clark, junior John Falgout and sophomore Jacody Coleman. West Brook gave ground grudgingly.
"We played decent on defense," Rabb said. "I thought we had a good plan to slow him (Charles) down a little bit. We had a couple of busts and gave up a long ball or two but they're good. Jamaal is right up there with the best of them (that Rabb has ever seen). His acceleration in those first five yards is so outstanding.
"But we didn't take advantage of our scoring opportunities early and you can't afford to do that against a good football team."
Defensive coordinator T.K. Harrison's tackle troops pitched their season's first shutout and the school's third-ever shutout victory. Besides solid work from tackles Corey Marks and Nick Barnes, the Titans greatly assisted their cause with six West Brook turnovers.
"This is real special to be able to get this shutout for our defense and to be district champions," senior corner Robert Barnes said. "That's where we tried to place our focus all week."
Barnes collected the night's lone interception early in the fourth quarter. Memorial's five fumble recoveries were evenly distributed among Isiah Trahan, Justin Robertson, Lionel Revuelta, Jacory Cormier and Rafael Cutten.
Trahan opened the scoring in the final minute of the opening quarter by taking a fumble two yards to the end zone after it caromed away from WB tailback Jordan Lewis. Sure-footed toe Asael Ramiro added his first of four extra points with 11 seconds left in the first quarter.
West Brook had wasted its night's deepest penetration by then. The Bruins surged to Memorial's 7 a few minutes earlier, only to come up empty. A 25-yard Jonathan Cruz field-goal attempt sailed wide left.
The Bruins seemed as if they maintained possession for most of the opening half, but Memorial needed only four snaps to double its lead midway in the second quarter. A 52-yard Porterie-to-Reynolds lob into the seam of WB's zone placed the Titans at the Bruins 4. Charles followed heavyweights Justin Washington and Don Holloway to the end zone with 6:36 left in the half.
When Washington and Holloway were not enjoying their sizable weight advantage over West Brook's smaller defensive front, center Quintin Johnson and tackle Robert Gillespie were doing the same. Charles followed tight end Eugene Mingo on his second-half TD. A roughing-the-kicker penalty proved instrumental in permitting that scoring drive.
The snapper and largest member of the Titans offense spoke volumes about the victory and what it meant in Titan territory.
"This is a real great feeling," Johnson said. "It's a great thing to be a part of this for Port Arthur because it's been so long... We worked real hard in the spring when the coaches moved people around to new positions. But it paid off for every position, not just one.
"We want to keep up the good work and do our best in the playoffs."
It's a landmark championship worth celebrating in Port Arthur... but there are Class 5A state playoff victories to capture first.
Titans claim first district crown
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By Tom Halliburton - The News Sports Writer Posted: 11/06/04 - 01:38:44 am CST
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mike Tobias/Port Arthur News Sports Memorial receiver Eric Reynolds (6) secures a long fourth quarter pass en route to scoring the Titans' final touchdown as they shut out the West Brook Bruins 28-0.
BEAUMONT - History turned a special page Friday night as Port Arthur Memorial clinched its first piece of a district football championship in school history.
Beaumont West Brook played gallant and determined defense, making the Titans earn it patiently. But Jamaal Charles carved out 106 yards and two touchdowns, while absorbing quite a pounding in a 28-0 shutout of the Bruins at Alex Durley Stadium.
Never mind that Memorial completed its regular season a modest 6-4. Forget that coach Dean Colbert's Titans claimed a 22-5A co-championship with Spring Westfield. This remained a red-letter historic night for a Port Arthur Independent School District which has starved for gridiron success for so long.
Twenty-two years ago -- long before Charles and his teammates were born -- a PAISD school won its last district title in Class 5A. Way back in 1982, Thomas Jefferson's Yellow Jackets claimed the outright 22-5A title with an unbeaten regular season.
Then refineries collapsed. Petrochemical industry layoffs arrived in bunches. An economy and a population took a licking. Three senior high schools eventually closed, creating the birth of Memorial prior to the 2002 football season. Yes, 22 years later, Port Arthurans had reason to celebrate as the Titans completed a rugged seven-game district agenda with a 6-1 record.
The Titans also received happy tidings in Spring on Friday. By virtue of Westfield's 34-28 win over Spring, Memorial has entered the 5A Division II bracket as the 22-5A winner. The Titans will be the host team Saturday at 2 o'clock against Houston Lamar in Baytown's Stallworth Stadium.
"Becoming district champions was one of our goals," said Charles, who ended the regular season as 22-5A's rushing and scoring leader with 1,682 rushing yards and 120 points. "This team is a real special team. It's a good team to be on. We can make something happen in the playoffs.
"We joke around a lot as a football family but we put that behind us and set our minds to playing hard for 48 minutes."
West Brook may have finished 2-8 and 0-7 but the host Bruins would do their very best to introduce themselves to Charles painfully as often as possible. They had their corners pinching hard when Titans senior quarterback Donovan Porterie retreated to dial up his short-passing game.
Leading receiver Jeremy McZeal and his recent health struggle was on the minds and the lips of several Titans teammates.
"We came out focused tonight because we wanted to dedicate this game to Jeremy McZeal," senior receiver Jerrett Williams said after catching four passes for 45 yards. "Donovan's been doing a lot of short-passing and play-action lately because defenses have putting eight in the box (to contain Charles)."
Porterie completed 12 of 20 passes for 199 yards. His final throw, a 39-yard fourth-quarter rainbow to Eric Reynolds proved how much attention West Brook paid to Charles. Reynolds hauled in a season-high four receptions for a season-high 113 yards. Much of Memorial's short-passing success came off play-action.
"They were really keying on me, because every time we tried play-action, their corners were biting," Charles said.
That's exactly what Colbert, Porterie and offensive coordinator Kenny Harrison had been confronting in recent games. It's a no-brainer that Memorial realizes it needs more of the same to enjoy post-season success against a defense that contains Charles well enough.
"We're trying to improve our play-action passing game, because we're going to need that against a team that stops the run effectively," Colbert said.
Bruins head coach Al Rabb and defensive coordinator Marcus Blankenship had nothing to be ashamed of when they focused on the heart of seniors Bryan Pete and Raymond Clark, junior John Falgout and sophomore Jacody Coleman. West Brook gave ground grudgingly.
"We played decent on defense," Rabb said. "I thought we had a good plan to slow him (Charles) down a little bit. We had a couple of busts and gave up a long ball or two but they're good. Jamaal is right up there with the best of them (that Rabb has ever seen). His acceleration in those first five yards is so outstanding.
"But we didn't take advantage of our scoring opportunities early and you can't afford to do that against a good football team."
Defensive coordinator T.K. Harrison's tackle troops pitched their season's first shutout and the school's third-ever shutout victory. Besides solid work from tackles Corey Marks and Nick Barnes, the Titans greatly assisted their cause with six West Brook turnovers.
"This is real special to be able to get this shutout for our defense and to be district champions," senior corner Robert Barnes said. "That's where we tried to place our focus all week."
Barnes collected the night's lone interception early in the fourth quarter. Memorial's five fumble recoveries were evenly distributed among Isiah Trahan, Justin Robertson, Lionel Revuelta, Jacory Cormier and Rafael Cutten.
Trahan opened the scoring in the final minute of the opening quarter by taking a fumble two yards to the end zone after it caromed away from WB tailback Jordan Lewis. Sure-footed toe Asael Ramiro added his first of four extra points with 11 seconds left in the first quarter.
West Brook had wasted its night's deepest penetration by then. The Bruins surged to Memorial's 7 a few minutes earlier, only to come up empty. A 25-yard Jonathan Cruz field-goal attempt sailed wide left.
The Bruins seemed as if they maintained possession for most of the opening half, but Memorial needed only four snaps to double its lead midway in the second quarter. A 52-yard Porterie-to-Reynolds lob into the seam of WB's zone placed the Titans at the Bruins 4. Charles followed heavyweights Justin Washington and Don Holloway to the end zone with 6:36 left in the half.
When Washington and Holloway were not enjoying their sizable weight advantage over West Brook's smaller defensive front, center Quintin Johnson and tackle Robert Gillespie were doing the same. Charles followed tight end Eugene Mingo on his second-half TD. A roughing-the-kicker penalty proved instrumental in permitting that scoring drive.
The snapper and largest member of the Titans offense spoke volumes about the victory and what it meant in Titan territory.
"This is a real great feeling," Johnson said. "It's a great thing to be a part of this for Port Arthur because it's been so long... We worked real hard in the spring when the coaches moved people around to new positions. But it paid off for every position, not just one.
"We want to keep up the good work and do our best in the playoffs."
It's a landmark championship worth celebrating in Port Arthur... but there are Class 5A state playoff victories to capture first.