Drake Rojas and Tracy Smith worked out together during the summer, realizing they were coming upon their senior season at Port Neches-Groves.

“We both worked inside the gym a lot,” Smith said. “We said this was how it was going to be, so we both turned out.”

Right from the start they have.

They’ve combined for three games of 30 or more points this season. Rojas, a 6-foot guard, scored 40 points in a season-opening win over Little Cypress-Mauriceville.

The next game, he had 24 in a loss to West Brook. The game after that — 31 in a win over Kelly.

“My teammates got me going,” Rojas said. “They tell me to keep shooting the ball. I’ve been practicing a lot lately shooting. I also keep driving and not being too passive, going hard to the basket.”

Smith felt he struggled against Kelly in the first meeting. The second time the two teams met, he responded with 37 points and 17 rebounds.

“We had played them the last week. I had a bad game,” the 6-foot-5 forward said. “I looked at my teammates and thought I had to step it up.”

Hayden Hefner’s not bad at scoring the ball himself.

The 6-5 Nederland junior guard, a third-year varsity starter, has six 30-point games to his name, including a career-high 36 in the Bulldogs’ season-opening win over Kelly. Hefner racked up 30 points in each of the past two games, a loss to Silsbee and win at Vidor. He’s drawing scholarship offers from major-college programs including Houston and Texas A&M with averages of 25.2 points, 7 rebounds and 4.5 assists.

“He’s different, for sure,” 13th-year Bulldogs coach Brian English said. “A lot of that creativity, he’s developed on his own. You don’t know what you’re going to get from him because he can score multiple ways.”

Friday night’s Mid-County Madness game at Nederland’s Dog Dome will include some intriguing matchups with a number of consistent scorers on the floor for both teams.

“We know Nederland is a very tough ballclub,” 19th-year Indians coach Pat Abel said. “They’ve got great pieces in their puzzle. Hayden Hefner’s a tough individual to stop, but it’s not just Hefner. It’s their complete team because he’s able to find open people when you focus on him.”

The Bulldogs (14-5, 1-0 in 21-5A) have reloaded following a near-upset of Humble in the 5A bi-district round and found balance in their offense in games where Hefner isn’t as dominant. Guards Cedric Pete and Joseph Gipson have given the Bulldogs some scoring help along with post players J.B. Rahe and Tyler Jackson.

Hefner is a proven scorer from anywhere on the court. If a team tries to sag on him, it makes him want to attack more.

“If I feel like I’m playing a team that’s a fully defensive-minded team that puts a lot of pressure on us, I feel like I need to pick up the scoring so I can give my team the best chance to win the game and pick up my end of the stick.”

PNG (9-7, 1-0 in 21-5A) lost to Nederland 61-46 in the Dec. 7 Hardin-Jefferson Basketball Marathon thanks in part to Hefner’s 27 points. That was part of a four-game skid for the Indians, who have won two straight since.

“Sometimes, a good slap in the face will help you and makes you aware of where you’re a little bit weak and things you have to work on so you come back to practice the next day, try to pound it out and work to get better,” Abel said.

PNG’s slide had come during a span of six games in the three-day Marathon, which Nederland won a week after repeating as champion of its own tournament.

The Indians are senior-oriented, however, and are getting consistent production from Rojas (15.9 points and 4.4 assists per game prior to Tuesday) and Smith (16.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2 blocks per game prior to Tuesday). Senior Trent Lee, who led PNG with 19 points in Tuesday’s win over Dayton, and junior Noah Marchak are usual contributors for the Indians as well.

“They have a lot of scorers and a lot of weapons,” English said of PNG. “We’ve got to be ready to guard, because if you’re not ready to guard, they can beat you with other people. Some teams just have one, maybe two scorers. They have at least three.”

Hefner’s looking for an electric environment going into the Christmas break.

“I think it’ll be pretty packed,” he said. “Both schools are coming out to support. Football’s over, and it’s a rivalry.”

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