Prep Roundup: Indian soccer teams score 2 shutouts over Dogs

Published 1:04 am Saturday, February 4, 2017

Almost 27 minutes into Friday’s girls soccer match in Port Neches, Hailey Loupe scored the first goal, and the celebration with her Port Neches-Groves teammates was on.

A few miles southwest in Nederland, PNG’s boys team was having twice as much fun.

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The PNG girls team protected their home field in their own Mid-County Madness showdown, taking a 2-0 win over the previously unbeaten Bulldogs (7-1-2, 1-1-1 in District 22-5A). The Indian boys remained unbeaten in district play with a 4-0 win.

“We had done some things,” PNG boys coach Chad Luttrull said. “We had some kids really step up. We have young kids step up. We have several seniors on our team. They work hard in practice, and it carries over in games.”

Luttrull’s Indians improved to 10-1-2 and 3-0 in 22-5A. Nederland is 1-2 in the district.

The PNG girls team (9-1-1, 2-1) made their score 2-0 in the second half when Elizabeth Bolyard netted a goal off a Grace Seymour free kick. Loupe took the handle from a Sophie Brant kick for her goal.

“The defense did an outstanding job on containing [Madison] Ledet and [Meg] Sheppard and the rest of the Nederland offense,” Bates said. “Libbie [LeJeune of PNG] was solid in goal.”

Loupe and Ledet signed with Lamar on Wednesday.

Nederland goalie Emma Roccaforte, who is headed to McNeese State, made six saves.

Preston Riggs and Christian Davalos scored for the PNG boys in the first half. Colton Stone managed to punch in a short-range goal from the right-hand side early in the second half and reacted with his two index fingers pointing toward the sky while he was still sitting on the ground.

Garrison Vanhouten capped the scoring with a late penalty kick.

Luttrull also credited the Indians’ speed for their dominating performance.

“This might be one of my fastest teams I’ve coached in 11 years,” he said.

PNG’s girls team will take on upstart Port Arthur Memorial at Memorial Stadium on Tuesday in the first district meeting between both programs. Memorial’s boys team will visit PNG on Tuesday.

GIRLS SOCCER

PA MEMORIAL 5, CENTRAL 0

BEAUMONT — The Titans (5-3-1, 2-1 in 22-5A) raced to a 3-0 halftime lead and did not let up any at Babe Zaharias Stadium.

Grettel Vazquez and Yudith Banda each scored twice for Memorial, which is enjoying a solid start to tis first season in 22-5A after years of Class 6A play. Guadalupe Contreras accounted for the final goal.

Daphne Reyes was responsible for the shutout in the net. Memorial coach Phillip Mattingly cited the defensive work of Julisa Tejeda and Arianna Fernandez.

BOYS SOCCER

CENTRAL 1, PA MEMORIAL 0

In Port Arthur, Memorial (1-8, 1-2 in 22-5A) registered most of its shots on goal in the first half, but the Titans came out flat in the second half as the Jaguars held on to take the victory.

Central scored with 4:43 left in the first half.

Saul Ayon made nine saves for Memorial.

BOB HOPE 4, HAMSHIRE-FANNETT 1

In Port Arthur, Enry Reyes scored twice, Gerardo Figueroa and Ricky Perez each added a goal, and Bob Hope (3-4-1) took a three-goal victory over Hamshire-Fannett.

Hamshire-Fannett won the girls contest 6-0, dropping the Eagles to 3-4-1.

BOYS HOOPS

PA MEMORIAL 53, OZEN 47

BEAUMONT — Memorial can taste its district championship.

Thailan Wesley scored 16 points and Jomard Valsin dropped 10 in the Titans’ six-point victory, giving them a 5-1 season record against Beaumont ISD teams. Central (20-8, 10-1), which is tied with Memorial for first place in District 22-5A, handed the Titans (22-5, 10-1) their only district loss.

The game was closely contested until the end. Ozen (18-8, 7-4) raced to a 22-18 lead after it was tied at 7-all in the first quarter and clung to a 33-32 third-quarter lead.

Memorial hosts Nederland in a key district tussle Tuesday night. The Titans won the first meeting 53-46 on Jan. 13.

In girls action, Ozen beat Memorial 65-30 to improve to 22-6 and 13-0 in 22-5A.

NEDERLAND 62, PNG 37

PORT NECHES — Going into the week, Nederland was two games behind Ozen for third place in 22-5A.

Now, the Bulldogs have drawn even.

Darrell Jones tallied 24 points and seven rebounds, Kevin Howard had nine points and nine boards, and the Bulldogs (24-8, 7-4 in 22-5A) scored a season sweep of the Indians (6-19, 2-9).

Howard scored all but two of his points in the first quarter. Jones, who had 26 points Tuesday in a win over Ozen, knocked down four of Nederland’s nine three-point buckets.

Reid Garrett had nine points for the Bulldogs, all coming on three-balls.

Edsel Damo of PNG went on his own outside shooting barrage. He made four treys and finished with 17 points, while Hunter Curtis added nine.

PNG plays at Central on Tuesday.

About I.C. Murrell

I.C. Murrell was promoted to editor of The News, effective Oct. 14, 2019. He previously served as sports editor since August 2015 and has won or shared eight first-place awards from state newspaper associations and corporations. He was born in Memphis, Tennessee, grew up mostly in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and graduated from the University of Arkansas at Monticello.

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