PORT NECHES —  PORT NECHES -- Port Neches-Groves decided to set the record straight about its offense Friday night. The Indians showed there did not seem to be anything wrong with it.

  A more aggressive white-shirted home team arrived to duel Nederland in this Reservation rematch. PN-G's boys have never lost a game all winter on their nice green carpet. They never played as if they were going to lose this one, either.

  PN-G really took it to Nederland 3-1 and gave every indication that coach Don Sandell's offense was quite alive and well.

  The Indians' offense basically was a no-show a month earlier at Nederland, but Sandell gave it timely oil change and carburetor tuneup by installing Greg Flores at center midfield rather than forward.

  That basically can explain a lot of why PN-G is 19-1-3 and 11-1 and probably going to own the No. 1 seed in the 4A playoff bracket from 38-4A.

  If Flores is in the middle, he touches and distributes the ball more. That just draws defenders to him. It frees up Trevor Hoffpauir, Elver Uriostegui, Angel Valencia, Peter Zimmerman and others to fire bullets all around him.

  When those bullets fly as high and hard as they were Friday night, Flores better be careful and duck or else he will get hit in the head.

  "That was a great all-around performance," said the fourth-year Indians chief. "We felt confident tonight. When Elver scored that first goal, it kind of propelled us and then we capitalized on another corner kick."

  Nederland (17-2-1 and 11-1) is looking at being the No. 2 team from 38-4A unless the teams agree to play a third time. That's because of the goal differential. Nederland won 1-0 at home but lost by two goals at PN-G.

  "If it comes down to it, I definitely would want to play a third time," NHS coach Jason Butler said understandably. "We just got beat tonight. They scored when they needed to and we're not doing that right now. I didn't have any problems with either goalkeeper. They (PN-G) just scored three awesome goals. They finished their opportunities and we didn't."

  Nederland actually was winning possession time in the opening half but still finding itself behind 1-0 after the first 40 minutes. That's because Flores dished to Uriostegui in the sixth minute and Elver threaded a 30-yard bomb past NHS senior keeper Tanner Adams.

  Butler played his senior in the first half, and switched to sophomore Eduardo Martinez at intermission. Uriostegui bent a corner kick to that king of corner kicks, senior sweeper Peter Zimmerman. The Indians star knocked home his 10th goal of the season off a corner kick. (That's an incredible success ratio). The restart lifted PN-G ahead 2-0 with 31:42 to play.

  About 15 minutes later, the PN-G edge turned much more commanding. Valencia took a shot from out in front of the net. Flores offered a perfect shield for his mates as the rebounded headed to Hoffpauir. The junior midfielder Hoffpauir rolled in a low shot with 17:07 to play for a 3-0 lead.

  Hector Garcia responded with Nederland's only goal, making a penalty kick with 12:16 to play, after officials ruled a handball in the box against PN-G.

  Sandell's Indians entertain Bridge City on Tuesday night while Butler's Bulldogs host Central. If both decide to be co-champions, they both certainly deserve a champion's recognition.