PORT NECHES — When Gavin Deslatte was hurt during preseason camp, an injury dating back to the 2017 offseason came back to haunt the Port Neches-Groves junior running back.

“Playing running back, you get hit every play,” he said. “So, there’s usually bangs and bruises after every game. Pretty much every day, you wake up and there’s something new wrong with you. But you take the adversity, go through it, play through the pain — that’s all you’ve got to do, play for your team. That’s what I did, and last week it paid off.”

Nope, Deslatte didn’t let a dislocated kneecap keep him from playing as a sophomore. In PNG’s first game that season, just 10 days after the arrival of Tropical Storm Harvey, Deslatte turned in 114 yards and two touchdowns in a 55-31 win over Baytown Sterling.

“He’s a great, hardworking kid, so he doesn’t tell you everything,” Indians coach Brandon Faircloth said. “He finds a way to fight through it and play every week and play at a high level.”

Deslatte injured the knee again during the 5A Division II playoffs, but the kneecap issue never sidelined the 5-foot-9, 185-pounder until camp, only forcing him to miss the preseason scrimmages against West Orange-Stark and West Brook.

He’s shared carries with senior Jaylan Williams in the backfield and senior quarterback Roschon Johnson this season. But last Friday, Deslatte stole the show with 155 yards and a touchdown in a 49-28 rout of Baytown Lee.

“Great feeling,” Deslatte said. “After the game, I was just overwhelmed with joy. Lately I just kind of felt like I haven’t been playing to my best ability, and then the last game opened my eyes and showed me I still got it. I had 18 carries, which is the most I’ve ever gotten on the varsity level.”

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He also thanked the Indians’ offensive line.

“The offense did what they had to do,” Deslatte said. “I just followed my blocks, and I’ve got to give it all to them [offensive line]. The yards I got came from the offensive line, basically those big guys up front.”

Faircloth saw Deslatte’s potential, calling him up from the freshman team the Sunday after a dramatic 2016 bi-district round win over Barbers Hill because of numerous injuries the Indians suffered.

“The first game, I was kind of nervous,” he said. “The dudes were big. They were scary-looking. I went out there, I broke a couple of runs, and I ended up scoring a touchdown.”

Deslatte’s numbers against Fort Bend Willowridge: 108 yards on 12 carries. His touchdown with 6:51 left provided insurance as the Indians reached the 5A Division III Region III semifinals for just the second time since 1999.

“After that, I was just like, I can hang with these dudes,” Deslatte said. “Ever since … I ain’t worried about them.”

 

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Purple Power vs. Slot-T

Another vaunted rushing attack will be on display Friday night when PNG (2-2, 1-0 in District 12-5A Division II) hosts Vidor (3-1, 0-1). The two teams rank only behind Crosby (463.3 yards per game) among the district’s total offense leaders; PNG holds a 455-422.3 edge for second place.

Known for the Slot-T offense, two of Vidor’s backfield standouts, junior Brad Nunez (552 yards on 54 carries, three touchdowns) and senior Zach Dahlenburg (460 on 38, seven) rank first and third among 12-5A-II’s leaders in rushing yards for the year.

“It’s hard to simulate in practice,” Faircloth said Thursday, asked how to slow down a Slot-T offense. “It’s always a tough week and we got to get in the game tomorrow night and get used to it and see if we can get some stops.”

Junior Jaylen Garth, the anchor of the Indians’ offensive line, knows both defenses will have their work cut out Friday. He has to make holes for PNG’s playmakers against a Pirates team whose 267.3 yards per game allowed ranks second in the district.

“We already knew it’s going to be a defensive game,” he said. “Around this area, Slot-T is hard to handle. It’s a pretty good offense. We already knew it’s going to be tough on defense.”

Deslatte has 283 yards on 46 totes and two scores, which ranks him 10th. Johnson, the District 22-5A leading rusher through the end of the 2017 regular season, is 14th with 195 yards and 37 rushes and four TDs, but missed the Week 3 loss to Tomball due to injury.

“You wouldn’t want to block for anybody but them,” Garth said of Deslatte and Johnson. “They’re like really good players. I feel good knowing I’m blocking for them two and letting them score.”

Williams has emerged as a playmaker as well, his 151 yards on 26 carries giving PNG a necessary 1-2 backfield punch behind Johnson.

“Running backs take some big hits,” Faircloth said. “I think it’s really important to have two guys that can rotate carries and share carries. They’re both great running backs. They’re both great in pass protection, both great leaders and hard workers.”

 

Don’t forget the air game

Johnson (41 for 65 for 605 yards, four touchdowns and an interception) is 12-5A-II’s most accurate passer. Vidor hasn’t even for 100 yards.

All but 87 of Vidor’s 1,689 total yards have come via the rush, but that doesn’t fool Faircloth into thinking the Pirates’ air attack is weak.

“They pass at opportune times,” he said. “They lull you to sleep with those run plays, and when they throw it, it’s usually passing touchdowns. You have to stay awake, read your keys and do a great job of staying on top of them because when they get behind you, it’s a touchdown.”

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