PREP ROUNDUP: Titans complete 14-0 district season with blowout
Published 10:59 pm Tuesday, February 13, 2018
- Memorial’s Thailan Wesley (35), Jomard Valsin (14), Darion Chatman (4), Nate Clover (13) and Jaden Conner (20) replace the all-senior starting lineup during the Titans’ regular-season finale against Livingston on Tuesday in Port Arthur. Memorial started twins Jyson and Jaric Butler, Jamyus Jones, Jamal Dorsey and Tyler Guidry for senior night. (I.C. Murrell/The News)
The News staff reports
The District 22-5A championship didn’t come easy for Port Arthur Memorial. Neither did winning all 14 district games.
The Titans just made it look easy at times.
One of those times came Tuesday night at home, when a 25-5 first quarter ballooned into a 94-33 victory over Livingston in the regular season finale.
Memorial (27-5, 14-0 in 22-5A), which has matched last season’s win total and won 19 in a row, raced to a 59-10 halftime lead on senior night, as the Titans started twins Jyson and Jaric Butler, Jamyus Jones, Tyler Guidry and Jamal Dorsey. Jyson Butler had the hot hand, making six three-point baskets and leading the way with 22 points.
Thailan Wesley had 19 points in the win.
Livingston finished on the opposite end of the 22-5A spectrum, going 3-30 and 0-14.
Memorial will take on either Barbers Hill or Porter in next week’s bi-district round. The two 21-5A teams will face off in a tiebreaker for third place Friday in Crosby.
NEDERLAND 72, VIDOR 42
NEDERLAND — A tradition is continuing — the postseason.
The Bulldogs have qualified for their 10th straight UIL playoffs after pulling away from Vidor at home. Nederland (25-12, 8-6 in 22-5A) will face Humble for the second year in a row in a bi-district game tentatively set for 8 p.m. next Tuesday at Goose Creek Memorial High in Baytown.
Humble beat Nederland 59-56 in overtime last season, and a win will match the Bulldogs’ victory count from that season.
Hayden Hefner led the Bulldogs with 22 points Tuesday, while Shafin Momin had 13.
Vidor (17-16, 6-8) finished with a winning overall record, but the Pirates were hoping to force a third meeting with the Bulldogs this year by winning Tuesday.
PNG 59, LUMBERTON 58
LUMBERTON — The Indians went out with a bang.
Tracy Smith made a putback shot with 12 seconds left, and a Gavin Whitmire layup attempt at the end came up short as PNG (13-21, 3-11) earned a sixth-place tie in 22-5A with its first win since Jan. 23.
Smith’s winning basket snapped a five-game slide for the Indians, who edged the Raiders (11-23, 3-11) 18-17 in the final 8 minutes.
Brandon Petix led PNG with 13 points and Edsel Damo had 11 in their final high school game. Drake Rojas and Smith each had nine and Riley Abel finished with eight.
Whitmire scored a game-high 21 points.
SABINE PASS 53, DEWEYVILLE 46
DEWEYVILLE — Sabine Pass got it when the Sharks needed it the most.
The Sharks woke up from a sluggish first quarter and relied on Daniel Sam’s 22 points to take a 53-46 win over Deweyville on Tuesday and qualify for the 2A boys basketball playoffs.
Sabine Pass (10-15, 2-6 in 24-2A) is going to the playoffs for the third season in a row and will take on Lufkin Pinewoods next Tuesday at a time and location to be announced. Pineywoods beat SP 100-93 despite Jamyus Jones’ 55 points.
Daniel Sam, Class 2A’s third-leading scorer at 28.9 points per game, finished with 22 points to lead the Sharks. Harold James scored 14 and Austin Smith totaled 10.
“Well, we were healthy once again after all of the flu has wiped us out through district so far,” Sharks coach Scott Hagedorn said. “… We had a lot of guys step up including Austin Smith, who is our center. It was a win-or-go-home game, and the guys pulled through and played well.”
The Sharks last won a playoff game two seasons ago when they defeated Zavalla in the bi-district round.
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Some one-game tiebreakers that impact playoff games involving Jefferson and Orange county teams are scheduled for Friday.
In 22-4A, Bridge City and Orangefield will fight for the fourth seed at 7 p.m. Friday at Little Cypress-Mauriceville.
District 22-6A champion West Brook will take on either Channelview or Humble Summer Creek, who will face off at 7 p.m. Friday at Channelview. West Brook’s playoff game is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday at Dayton.
GIRLS SOCCER
NEDERLAND 13, LIVINGSTON 0
LIVINGSTON — Jordan Minaldi and Meg Sheppard each turned a hat trick, leading the Bulldogs (13-2, 6-0 in 22-5A) to a rout of the Lions.
Madison Diaz and Brynn Landry each chalked up two goals. Skylar Thomassie, Destyn Miguez and Hattie Seymour each added a goal.
Hailey Kimler recorded the shutout for Nederland.
BOB HOPE 1, EAST CHAMBERS 0
In Port Arthur, Bianca Anaya scored the only goal of the game with 18:44 left before halftime, and Bob Hope (5-6-1, 1-1 in 20-4A) picked up its first district victory.
BOYS SOCCER
PNG 3, CENTRAL 2
PORT NECHES — Preston Riggs scored his 27th goal of the season, but Jason Lovejoy netted two Tuesday, and Port Neches-Groves (11-6-1, 4-2 in 22-5A) needed them all to shake off Beaumont Central.
Sergio Aguilar, Riggs and Lovejoy each assisted.
**CORRECTS significance of Barbers Hill-Porter game**
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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