PN-G bamatex

It’s not a land issue, it’s a demographic issue. The population in PN-GISD is getting younger. Old folks are dying off, and their homes are being bought by young families moving in with increasing frequency. Factor in that PN-GISD is more attractive than some of its neighbors right now thanks to the newer schools, the quality of education and the recent extracurricular success, and you have an easy explanation for the ~20% enrollment growth that’s occurred over the last ten years while the neighboring Jefferson County districts have all either flat-lined or shrunk. You also have an explanation for Groves posting the highest growth rate in the county and the third highest in the MSA on the 2020 census. We’re a lot closer to 5ADI numbers than people realize.

5ADII PN-G beat 6A Beaumont United 49-0 and 45-14 in 2022 and 2023. 4ADII WO-S played the eventual 5ADII state champion Indians to overtime in 2023. If it all boils down to just attendance numbers, explain those facts to me.

To your point, it’s worth noting that the 50-15 loss was PN-G’s first game under a new coach. I think most PN-G fans would agree that the 2022 Indians didn’t fully settle into Joseph’s system until late in the regular season.

That’s a recent phenomenon. PN-G and Nederland were always within a hundred students of each other until PN-G’s numbers started to jump around 2018. In fact, for many years leading up to that, PN-G was slightly smaller than Nederland.

Jeff Joseph was special teams coordinator at Southlake Carroll when PN-G hired him. Everyone at PN-G, including Joseph himself, characterized the hiring as “taking a chance.” Look how that worked out.

Would be interested in seeing the regional champions in the small school divisions from the days before state championships were played in the lower classifications added to this list. The original Port Neches Indians won regional championships in 1946 and ‘47, when that was the highest they could go. Finished one of those two seasons undefeated, as I recall.

Agreed. I’m hoping Joseph’s success with the Indians signals to the state’s top coaching talent that Southeast Texas has the right mix of talent, resources and community support to be successful. Scott Rich’s arrival in Nederland suggests that might be happening.

I stand corrected. (As does my calendar.)

I really respect Coach Joseph’s predistrict selections, even if I would like to see Memorial on the schedule. We will be prepared for whatever we face the rest of the season. I’ve already circled December 13 on my calendar. Scalp ‘em, Indians.

I’m gonna preach this one more time and then I’ll get off my soap box. The foundation of a successful high school or collegiate football program is a top notch strength and conditioning regimen. These Katy guys seem to understand that really well.

Faircloth won four of his last six games versus Nederland, including three in a row. The losses to Nederland were only an issue until Neumann left. That wasn’t the ultimate cause of Faircloth’s demise. But as a Faircloth supporter, I don’t really think this is worth rehashing now. We have a generationally great coach, and the program’s in the best shape in decades. No use reopening old wounds.

That hasn’t changed. I remember listening to a dog right at the back of the visitors’ stands 15 years ago. One of the tuba players dropped his mouthpiece over the back railing by accident and we decided to leave it there because we didn’t think the dog would give it up without a fight.

I know PN-G is a football school first and foremost - 28 district titles, 16 seasons with ten or more wins, ten regional titles, eight state championship appearances and four state titles speak to that - but we really are blessed with an embarrassment of athletic riches at PN-G. The baseball program has made four state championship appearances and won it once; three of those appearances and the victory have all occurred in the last 25 years. The softball team has made two state championship appearances, both in the last 25 years. The volleyball team is 3-0 in state championship games. For most of the last fifteen years, both the boys' and girls' soccer programs have been major regional powers, making regional final appearances several times. If I recall correctly, there was one season where both teams made it to the regional final. We've fielded two or three state champions in various track activities plus a few dozen more state track meet qualifiers, and are always competitive in powerlifting. We used to be a real power in tennis. Sports-wise, basketball is really the only area where PN-G has consistently underperformed. Add in all the academic accolades - the years of blue ribbon designations, thirteen straight district titles in UIL academics from 2001 to 2013 and several consecutive years of dozens of kids advancing to regionals, a handful to state and one kid winning a gold medal in creative writing at the state UIL meet. For several years, PN-G offered more dual credit hours than any other local high school, Kelly included. And then there's the performing arts. The band has made, what, four trips to the state marching competition? Straight ones all but maybe three or four seasons since the UIL started holding regional marching competitions 50+ years ago, plus how many different awards from local marching festivals and competitions? Not to mention the hundreds of PN-G students who've achieved all-region and all-state honors in band and choir over the years, and a very competitive theater program. There are whole hallways at the high school lined with trophy cabinets filled to the brim for the different performing arts groups. Football is king at PN-G, but there are many, many more reasons to be proud to be an Indian.

Hey now, if it was at Redbird's, I'm gonna be jealous I wasn't invited.

Scott Rich will be a good coach for the Bulldogs. It might take a season or two for him to right the ship, but Mid-County Madness is on the verge of being a contest of state-ranked powers, on top of already being the state’s fiercest rivalry and the perennial marquis game in the Golden Triangle. This is good for both schools, and good for the area at large. I look forward to seeing what Coach Rich does at Nederland.