The City of Port Arthur awarded the Memorial High School Titans football team on Monday for the successful season that brought the community together.

“We are very proud of how well they did in football and how well they united the community,” said councilman Morris Albright III.

“They really gave the citizens something to rally around,” Albright added.

The team had their best season since Port Arthur ISD combined multiple high schools, Thomas Jefferson High School and Lincoln High School, into one single high school, Memorial High School.

Senior linebacker Elandon Roberts, who grew up in Port Arthur, said he never missed a football game as a kid and he always wanted the feeling of being on a winning team.

“Back at the days of TJ and Lincoln you would see a lot of crowds but it had lost that when Memorial got formed,” said Roberts.

“It feels like now we brought even more of it back because people are still talking about football. They don’t come for Lincoln, they come for the Memorial Titans,” Roberts added.

Memorial finished the season as bi-district, area and regional champions, advancing all the way to the Division II State Semifinals.

Third place medals were given to the players in a ceremony on December 14.

“I’m glad that they have the whole community behind them,” Titan coach Kenny Harrison told the News.

“These young men are real deserving,” Harrison added.

Among those city officials present to congratulate the players were Port Arthur councilmen Robert Williamson, Derrick Freeman, Harold Doucet, Elizabeth Segler, Albright and Mayor Deloris “Bobbie” Prince.

“We not only hope not only that you can be great athletes but we hope you can be the best citizens on the earth,” said Prince.