How is PNG...

[Prideisforever]

Going to look next year? Any good players returning for them besides Thompson?

[Guest Bridge City Card]

I've heard that they have a few good ones returning.

[Guest Indian Chief]

Hopefully we'll be able to make the top 3 this year! We have some key guys back.

[Guest Indian Chief]

I've heard that they have a few good ones returning.

We do!

[blitz51]

We will never be a contender until we have new leadership on the court.

Its time for a change. PNG boy, Lance Robertson (currently Vidors HC), would be a nice fit.

[Trad]

If Lance Robertson does not like being the head 9th grade football coach at the same time trying to put together a varsity basketball team, he would not be a good fit. I am not saying Coach Able likes coaching the 9th grade team but he does it anyway. I have not talked to him about it recently.

[blitz51]

Im pretty sure Coach Robertson would take the job if it came open regardless of 9th grade football. Hes known all the kids there since they were 5 and plus he lives there. He would be the best fit to turn things around at PNG.

We will never win anything with Abel, Its time for a fresh start.

[setxc]

Coach Abel is a first class guy and works hard and gets as much from his guys as possible.  It is just a tough district and you have to face it.  Coach Robertson is a good coach also.  And who knows Coach Robertson hasnt said he wants to come back home to coach yet.  It is not always that is to come home and coach, sometimes it has to be at the right time for the coach and the school.  But as far as both guys they are good guys.  Good Luck to both this year!

[blitz51]

I never said Abel wasnt a first class guy, but being a first class guy doesnt win basketball games. And thats kinda what he gets paid to do, and he has yet to do it.

[Guest KirbyKat]

This is amazing. Pat Abel is not only a Class Act, but also an excellent high school basketball coach. You have no idea how hard it is too compete in basketball at places like PNG, Vidor, Lumberton, LCM and Nederland. And don't throw Vidor up at me. They had 2 really good seasons and I congratulate them on that, but saying that they are on par with Ozen, Dayton, and Central...No Way. Coach Abel doesn't have great athlete's, but gets 100% out of all his players. And by the way, 3 of Vidors district losses during their playoff years were to the PNG Indians. And the comment about that's what he gets paid to do ( win games ) is not anywhere close to reality. He gets paid to teach the game and maybe, just maybe, teach some life lessons. Like committment, teamwork and work ethic. Get off his back. You're clueless. 

[blitz51]

Ok, I wont throw up Vidor. But Dayton has not been in the district forever.

If Coach Abel got 100% out of all is players like you say he does, then why everytime I went to a PNG basketball last season He and his best player constantly clashed. Either get rid of him because hes obviously a distraction or find some middle ground. Do something other than just get in his face in the middle of every game then watch him pout on the end of the bench for the 2nd half.

And yes, High School basketball is about teaching and learning and all of that. But do you think that if Coach Boutte at Ozen did what Abel has done he wouldnt be gone? I think so. 

[blitz51]

And it wouldnt be so hard to compete for places like that if they didnt just use what shows up at tryouts. Coach Abel, since he does coach football, sees all the athletes PNG has to offer every year. Talk to them about coming out. Get your best athletes on the court. Instead of just taking what shows up. Hes so hell bent on having guys who just play basketball that hes killed the program at PNG. Not saying that there are a ton of guys who want to play basketball at PNG, but with a little effort there could be more.

[Guest KirbyKat]

Killed the program? When was it an elite program. Last playoff apperarance? It's not Abel who is keeping kids out of the program. Do you think for a minute he would'nt take a kid that would help his team? I'll give an example, Dustin Hood, all-district bb player his junior year, decides not to play his senior year to play baseball. And Abel was'nt even the head coach. Bottom line, you don't get the best athlete's at PNG. You have to win with what shows up. And the thought on Boutte. Give me a break. Andre Boutte says thing to his players that would peel paint off the wall. Sit behind the bench one night. Don't compare Abel to Boutte. Ozen and PNG are worlds apart bb wise. All Boutte has to do is put another 5 in the game.

[Guest KirbyKat]

Your right Dayton has not been in the district. Lincoln and TJ were there.

[Guest KirbyKat]

Oh I almost forgot...WOS

[Aces_Full]

If you could choose any coach in 22-4A to coach your team, who would you choose???

[Guest KirbyKat]

That's a great question. No sarcasim intended. Andre Boutte has to be the choice. His record alone gets him the job. The job he did last year when supposedly Ozen was "down" was remarkable. Let's turn the question around. Do you think Coach Boutte could make PNG or any of the middle of the road teams a playoff team?

[blitz51]

How about this, an even better question.

Would PNG finish better this season with Andre Boutte or Pat Abel as coach?

My point exactly. Just as PNG would finsih better with Coach Robertson, Coach English from Nederland, or Coach Rice from Central. Its that simple.

[Guest KirbyKat]

I think I understand your point, but we're not comparing apples. The players that you will get at PNG are drastically different from Ozen. I'll say this...Pat Abel could get Ozen in the playoffs every year and every coach you just listed could. Level of talent makes all the difference. This was entertaining. Thanks Yahtzee, I enjoyed the convo. I guess we'll agree to disagree. If you're an Indian fan I do hope you continue to support the bb program.

[blitz51]

Yes Kirby, I am an Indian fan and have been my whole life. As have i supported all the athletic programs at PNG and will continue to do so through good times and bad. Convo was enjoyable thoughout the work day. Maybe well do it again sometime.

[Trad]

Having to coach 9th grade football puts Able at a major disadvantage from the beginning. He lost a lot of games last year that could have been won if given the same time in the gym with his team the other coaches get. Many games were lost by 10 points or less, several by as many as 5. I agree that he is a very good coach and will use what talent he has as best possible.

[Trad]

And by the way. Robertson would not take on a head coaching basketball program while at the same time try to manage a head coaching job for the 9th grade football team, unless, the money was there and two no one expected him win a lot of games.

[Trad]

And this is for yor Kirbycat. PNG did not beat Vidor 3 times during the two years they went to the playoffs, but they did beat them twice, by a total of three points. They were great games I remember them well, both at the reservation, once in 04 and once in 05. In 05 they (PNG) beat Vidor by one and in 04 the beat them by two. By the way, when are we going to start talking about Nederland?

[blitz51]

First of all, Nobody cares about Nederland.

Second of all, you cant even spell Coach Abel's name right, thats pretty pathetic for someone who loves him so much.

Third, If you would have read all the posts prior to the last few, part of Abel's problem is that he just "uses what he has." He coaches 9th grade football, he gets to see the best "NEW" athletes that PNG has to offer every single year, even before school starts. Start working on them guys to come out for bball right then. You cant be successful in basketball at a school like PNG where Football and Baseball dominate athletics if you dont "recruit" the better athletes to come out and play for you. Its not like it would be all that difficult to turn things around at PNG. Hell their JV team last year almost went undefeated.  If he would start now with the freshman and sophomore group and get 3 or 4 of the better athletes and do some of this almighty teaching you two have been raving about he could turn things around over there.

And Fourth, Abel has done all but pretty much give up on developing younger talent. He ditched his basketball camp about 4-5 years ago. He does absolutely ZERO to help his Little Dribblers program. Its sad.

[Trad]

Yes I do love Coach Able, he is a great coach and cares about the game a lot more than you realize. There is not another coach around in any of our larger districts that have been asked to do what he is doing, and he does it without complaining. Speaking of pathedic, who in their right mind thinks that you can take a kid off the freshman football team that more than likely has never played before and think he is going to compete with kids that have been playing basketball for years? Nobody that knows anything about basketball. You can "recruit" all you want but if you have to have your varsity coah teach basic basketball 101, it is not going to happen. As a matter of fact if your kid shows up at Jr. High School and has no basketball skills, he will be a lot better off staying with football. Varsity coaches cannot run little dribblers, parents are already doing a fine job with the program. And don't you think you are a little hard on your neighbors across the street?