PORT NECHES — Adam Morse wouldn’t have missed this season for the world.

Sure, Port Neches-Groves’ outstanding quarterback has a football career at Lamar to think about. But the senior called basketball one of his favorite sports to play, and in his return to the court following a one-year absence, he’s playing like he’s never stopped.

“I figured it’s my senior year,” Morse said. “I’m going to try and see if I can play. Coach [Pat Abel] gave me the honor to be on the team this year, and we’re doing a really good job starting off.”

In fact, PN-G (11-7) has already achieved a first in Abel’s 16 years to lead the team — a 3-0 start to district play.

It couldn’t come at a better time. His son Ryan is a senior.

“It’s kind of hard to imagine [starting 3-0] because in the past three years, we’ve had a rough start,” Ryan Abel said. “Senior year, we were looking forward to, and it’s that time.”

The Indians already have won four more games than in last season’s 7-17 campaign, mainly because of the seniors’ play and the team chemistry.

“We have the ability to know what each other is doing a little bit better with that chemistry, and it helps everybody’s game out,” Pat Abel said. “[We’re] playing well and getting open looks and getting after it on the defensive end as well.”

Morse, who guided PN-G to a playoff victory in November, rejoined the basketball Indians shortly before the holiday break, helping them win the Bridge City Cardinal Classic. Pat Abel estimated he’s averaging 14 points per game to lead the team, with Ryan Abel making big contributions in the way of a double-double average. (He said Ryan is scoring 11 to 12 points a game, but didn’t give a rebound count.)

“Having Adam back, it’s more about the chemistry,” coach Abel said. “His ability to play, we knew, was good. But he brings some leadership and chemistry to these seniors who’ve played together for years. We’re glad to have him back, and glad to have all the football players.”

In fact, Keynel McZeal and Morse have broken into the starting lineup, joining forces with guards Edsel Damo and Derrick Papa and the younger Abel in the low post.

Morse said he took time off because coaches in other sports “got into [his] head” and told him he didn’t need to play, adding they took him away from the game he loves. Now, he’s only proven a valuable asset with the Indians sitting tied for first place in District 22-5A, just in time for archrival Nederland (16-8, 1-2) to pay a visit for tonight’s 7:30 tipoff in Port Neches.

The Bulldogs are only a few buckets and a couple of upsets away from being 3-0 in 22-5A as well, losing to Ozen 60-55 and Beaumont Central 68-60 in the past week. But with Nederland standout Jase Miguez and Morse set to go at it along with Kevin Howard and Ryan Abel in the low blocks, the records can be thrown out.

“After watching what they did against Ozen and Central and how well they played against them — they were in the game until the very end — nobody really expected that,” Pat Abel said of the Bulldogs. “They thought Nederland was the underdog. You can’t ever count anybody out in this district. We’ve got a tough road ahead of us with Nederland and Ozen and Central, so we understand what lies ahead. We also know we have to play well to compete with those guys.”