BEAUMONT — The Port Arthur Memorial Titans scored twice, lightning-fast, to build a two-touchdown lead.

Then the real lightning came. Several strikes, at that.

Memorial raced to an 18-6 lead over the Panama City (Fla.) Bay Tornadoes on Saturday night at the Thomas Center before the game was paused with 50.6 seconds left before halftime. It was the third and final game of the Lone Star Classic, organized by Lone Star Sports.

It was just before 9 p.m. when officials decided to pause the game due to the weather and 9:35 p.m. when the game was called.

Both head coaches were initially unsure whether the game counted because the first half had not been completed, but Memorial coach Kenny Harrison later said in texts to The News the game is considered a win because Bay coach Mike Watkins decided not to complete the game and the officials did not make the choice.

“I wanted to play the game,” Harrison said. “The coach had the trip back. Our kids wanted to play. The coaches wanted to play. But he [Watkins] decided not to play because the kids have a long trip home.”

“First of all, I feel bad for my kids and coach Harrison’s kids,” Watkins said. “Coach Harrison and Lone Star have been unbelievable. … I wish them [Memorial] the best and I know he’s going to have a great year this year.

“At the end of the day and at the end of my conversation, my most important thing is protecting my kids. I’ve got to put them in the safest situation I can. At this point, I felt that was a decision that had to be made.”

Watkins said he could consider playing Memorial again at a later date.

Memorial, known for its track-and-field prowess, found its footing in a game that boasted a track meet pace. Bay, however, could not punch the ball into the end zone with an otherwise successful hurry-up offense and settled for two Tanner Reese field goals on three attempts.

Titans senior Kadon Harrison enjoyed a strong start to the season, completing 4 of 6 passes for 85 yards and a touchdown pass to Keitha Jones from 31 yards out. That came after the Tornadoes failed to field the kickoff, which ensued De’Andre Angelle’s 16-yard run off a reverse handoff.

But Tornadoes had arrived on the Beaumont radar first.

They recovered a fumble on Memorial’s first play from scrimmage and converted a field goal with 7:57 left in the opening quarter. Then, they successfully executed a pooch kick (that was intentionally kicked in the air rather than in an onside direction), only to go three-and-out.

Jones ignited the Titans’ next series with a 29-yard carry to the Tornadoes’ 46. Elijah Hines, three plays later, raced 29 yards to the 10, setting up Harrison’s 10-yard touchdown bootleg run.

The Titans blocked Reese’s field-goal attempt, and Kobe Nixon returned it to the Memorial 36. But Gemerious Smith picked off a third-and-6 Harrison pass from the Bay 27 in the back of the end zone early in the second quarter.

Hines, who fumbled the handoff on Memorial’s first possession, also muffed a punt, allowing Bay to tie the game on a Reese field goal with 6:31 left.

Memorial recovered a forced fumble with 4:16 left and drove 52 yards in 3:16 to go ahead on Angelle’s rush.

A newspaper camerawoman was knocked out on Memorial’s first two-point conversion attempt. The placeholder bobbled the snap and was forced out of bounds when he ran into the photographer, who was carted off and carried to a local hospital. She was alert and is expected to make a full recovery.

Memorial hosts Houston Westside at 7 p.m. Friday.

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I.C. Murrell: 721-2435. Twitter: @ICMurrellPANews