With district play in full swing across the state, teams are either starting to control their own destiny or looking to other teams for help. Both Port Neches-Groves and Port Arthur Memorial control their destiny until Friday as their game will likely decide the District 22-5A champion. Both teams come into this game undefeated, the PNG Indians 6-0 and the Memorial Titans 5-0.
These two teams are very well balanced on both sides of the ball, both defenses are stingy giving up less than 20 points per game. The Indians are ranked 21st in our 5A power rankings and a reason for jumping into the top 25 is the way they have dominated every team so far. The closest game the Indians have played came just last week when they beat Vidor by 19 and shut them out in the second half. Now the Indians haven’t necessarily had the toughest schedule, but they are doing what good teams are suppose to do… win and win easily.
While the defense is shutting teams down the offense is blowing people out averaging over 43 points per game. This will be the toughest test for the Indians on both sides of the ball, as will it be for the Titans. The Titans are averaging a tick over 35 points per game, so while the offense isn’t quite where the Indians offense is the defense is a little bit better than the Indians giving up five less points per game. The Titans are in the same boat as the Indians as they really haven’t play a formidable opponent yet. The question can be raised that with all these great numbers on offense and defense for both teams which team is really this good and which team is just a benefactor of an easy schedule?
The Indians have the easier schedule left after this game, but if they don’t take of business against the Titans that may not matter. The Indians still have to face the Nederland Bulldogs in the Bum Phillips Bowl, formerly known as Mid-County Madness, and anything can happen in that game. Which team will control their destiny towards being district champs and which team will be scoreboard watching looking for help, that question will be answered on Friday.
