Port Neches-Groves and South Oak Cliff could shatter UIL State attendance records on Friday night at the 5A Division II State Title Game.
South Oak Cliff is looking for back-to-back state titles after earning the first state title by a Dallas ISD school since 1958 in a 23-14 victory over Liberty Hill a year ago.
The Golden Bears have urged their fans to blackout AT&T Stadium on Friday and are sure to be well represented.
Port Neches-Groves, meanwhile, is known for its travelling fan base, which will surely be energized by the Indians’ first state appearance since 1999.
Here is what to watch for in the nightcap on Friday.
Port Neches-Groves Indians (13-2)
Head Coach: Jeff Joseph (1st season; 13-2)
Distance to AT&T Stadium: 314 miles
2022 Playoff Results
Bi-District: W 38-17 vs. Montgomery
Area: W 24-19 vs. Austin LBJ
Regional Semifinals: W 38-28 vs. Brenham
Regional Final: W 29-21 vs. Fort Bend Marshall
State Semifinals: W 42-14 vs. Liberty Hill
Key Players and Storylines
Port Neches-Groves started their district slate with a 21-point loss to Fort Bend Marshall. However, the Indians avenged that loss when it mattered the most as they knocked off the Buffaloes 29-21 in a regional final upset.
They followed that up with an impressive 42-14 victory over Liberty Hill in the state semifinals.
In that game, the Indians showed their balance offensively.
Isaiah Nguyen ran for 261 yards on 31 carries, while quarterback Cole Crippen added 237 passing yards and three touchdowns.
It has been a remarkable rise for Nguyen, who started the season as Port Neches-Groves’ third-string running back.
“Isaiah has been an absolute blessing for us,” PNG offensive coordinator Cade McCrary said. “He is an extremely tough, humble kid that is catching his stride at the perfect time. Isaiah attends every practice then immediately after, [he] goes and busses tables at his parents local Cajun restaurant. That’s the kind of kid he is. He will play a big role in our gameplan and we look forward to Friday.”
Landon Guarnere has been the primary target for the Indians through the air the past couple weeks as he followed up a 98-yard performance against Fort Bend Marshall with nine catches for 127 yards and a score against Liberty Hill.
All three of these players will have their work cut out for them against a South Oak Cliff team that held Argyle to just six points last week.
Meanwhile, Port Neches-Groves defense will need to be at its best against South Oak Cliff. The Indians showed their toughness a week ago by limiting Liberty Hill and their vaunted slot-T offense to just 247 yards.
South Oak Cliff Golden Bears (12-3)
Head Coach: Jason Todd (8th season; 82-23 record)
Distance to AT&T Stadium: 24 miles
2022 Playoff Results
Bi-District: W 12-7 vs. Mansfield Summit
Area: W 42-37 vs. Lovejoy
Regional Semifinals: W 33-26 vs. Midlothian Heritage
Regional Final: W 30-16 vs. Melissa
State Semifinals: W 14-6 vs. Argyle
Key Players and Storylines
South Oak Cliff is out for a bit of history on Friday night as it seeks to be the first-ever Dallas ISD school to win back-to-back state titles.
If it is to earn that second-straight title, it’ll likely be in large part due to its defense’s play.
The Golden Bears are stacked on that side of the ball. Texas commit Malik Muhammad (58 tackles), Texas A&M commit Jayvon Thomas (three interceptions) Northern Arizona commit David Spruiells (69 tackles and six interceptions), Colorado commit Taylor Starling (65 tackles), and SMU commit Abdul Muhammad (70 tackles) all patrol the secondary and will make life tough for the Port Neches Groves passing game.
At linebacker, Brandon Jones (192 tackles) and North Texas commit Dylan Brown-Turner (113 tackles) are tackling machines, while Texas commit Billy Walton (32 TFLs) and Keith Smith (23 TFLs) have been forces up front for the Golden Bears.
And while its defense has been rock solid, South Oak Cliff has seen a bit of a quarterback carousel this season with three quarterbacks seeing time behind center.
That hasn’t mattered much though thanks to the strength of its run game led by Tedrick Williams (1,056 yards and 10 touchdowns) and Danny Green Jr. (1,055 yards and 12 touchdowns).
Final Thoughts
Port Neches-Groves will need to find a way to move the ball against South Oak’s Cliff physical defensive front.
If they can get Isaiah Nguyen and the offense going, the Indians will have a shot in this game.
However, if the Golden Bears are lights out again defensively, their run game will have a good opportunity to grind out the yardage necessary to bring the Golden Bears home their second-straight state title.
CLICK HERE to listen to the Texas HS Football Podcast, with Taylor Arenz
