PORT NECHES — To say this week of high school football is different in District 22-5A is an understatement.

But Brandon Faircloth and the Port Neches-Groves Indians are having fun with it.

“We had a great practice Monday because we have a game Wednesday,” the head coach said. “Not often do you get to do that.”

The Indians (1-0) have no complaints about taking the field in the middle of the week. They have, after all, played Thursday games in recent memory.

Running back Preston Hughes doesn’t mind what Thursday’s school day will bring him.

“I have very easy classes, so, yeah, I’ll be tired for sure,” he said.

Asked jokingly if he can just coast through them, Hughes said with a smile: “Oh, yeah.”

The Indians are just happy to play another game, their second in what is otherwise Week 4 of the UIL football season. But it’s also their first in 12 days, after beating Baytown Sterling 55-31 at home.

“It was a blessing just to bring normalcy back to the community and get the Friday nights back going,” said senior
Preston Riggs, who caught for three touchdown passes and 186 yards.

That game was played nine days after the Tropical Storm Harvey flood crested in Mid-County. Sterling, whose community was heavily battered days before Mid-County was, rushed for 397 yards on the road.

“Anytime you take three weeks off and you don’t tackle anybody, no one’s going to tackle well,” Faircloth said. “I doubt there’s any coach that said two weeks ago, ‘Man, we tackled well tonight.’ It’s hard to tackle and we made some special teams mistakes we had to work on. It’s things like that, until you get in a game and put kids in the fire, you see what they can do and what we have to get better at.”

PNG’s defense will have to get in a few tackles against Lumberton senior Josh Ward.

The 5-foot-7, 200-pound running back had 241 yards and two touchdowns against Hamshire-Fannett in 44-31 win on Sept. 8.

But neither Lumberton (1-0) nor PNG have played in 12 days. Riggs said the Indians were anxious to play last Friday.

“We had an off-week last week and went out every day like it was game week,” Riggs said. “We practiced as hard as we could. Now, we’re playing on Wednesday. I don’t think it makes a big difference. We’re ready, we’re treating it like it’s Friday night, and we’re ready to get our first district win.”

Aside from the Roschon Johnson-Riggs connection, PNG has a strong backfield as well, thanks in large part to sophomore Gavin Deslatte and Hughes. Deslatte ran for both of his touchdowns and finished with 114 yards against Sterling in only his third varsity game (he played in PNG’s last two playoff games).

“When I got hurt last year and Gavin stepped in as a freshman, he really did great,” said Hughes, who caught a touchdown pass against Sterling. “Now, he’s a sophomore and we don’t treat him as a sophomore. He’s a hard-working veteran. He’s a hard-working kid. When I graduate, I’m definitely not worried about the RBs at PNG.”

Faircloth said the Indians have responded well to the reformed 22-5A schedule that begins Wednesday, but they won’t take a team that went 3-7 and 2-6 in the district last year lightly.

“Every team’s got to play it,” Faircloth said. “It’s definitely unique. I think our guys were focused. … They understand the situation. We’re playing a great team in Lumberton. Really good players. It’s a huge challenge. It’s going to be a great game, just like every week in our district. If you’re not at your best, you can lose. That’s been proven time and time again.”
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I.C. Murrell: 549-8541. Twitter: @ICMurrellPANews