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October 31, 2009

PN-G clinches share of title; Harmon joins elite company

By Tom Halliburton

PORT NECHES — Even Caleb Harmon knew about Jeff Bergeron. Now his name will fly right up there by the Jet.

By dashing 22 times for 204 yards and two touchdowns, the Port Neches-Groves senior tailback jumped among the truly elite rushers in a single season of this school's proud football history.

Most unexpectedly, the PN-G squad also added at least a share of the District 20-4A championship to its trophy case. The 35-20 victory over Beaumont Ozen improved coach Brandon Faircloth's Indians to 9-0 and 6-0.

That's a 9-0 start for the first time in 20 years.

The Indian Stadium faithful expected a purple and white victory to be sure. But PN-G's fans, players and coaches never anticipated the capture of any portion of a District 20-4A title on this damp, chilly night at The Reservation.

The combination of PN-G's win and Livingston's 10-6 upset of Beaumont Central enabled Faircloth's first Tribe to own at least half of the 20-4A crown with one week left in the regular season.

That's hardly satisfactory for the Indians, ranked eighth in this week's Associated Press Class 4A state high school poll. They visit Beaumont's Babe Zaharias Stadium for a title date with Central (7-2 and 5-1) next Friday night. Plus PN-G is assured of a Class 4A Division II bidistrict game.

Knowing the Indians had a share of the 20-4A title pleased Faircloth for the moment, though.

"You can’t beat it," Faircloth smiled. "I'm very excited for our kids. It's a wonderful reward for them. But we know we're not done. We're definitely going to push forward.”

PN-G's entire community sustained a painful blow early Friday when it learned that Jodi Esquivel had died following a gallant two-year cancer battle. The wife of PN-G teacher and former Indians football standout Justin Esquivel and the daughter-in-law of former PN-G principal Roy Esquivel was honored by virtually all of PN-G's coaches at the game.

The Indians staff wore green t-shirts, recognizing Team Esquivel on game night against Ozen.

"We wanted to dedicate this win to Jodi and we wanted the family to know we were praying and thinking of them," said Faircloth.

Faircloth did not have such eloquent thoughts or words to describe his running star on this night. He's run out of superlatives and compliments to issue Harmon who made a significant dent into all-time Indians single-season rushing records.

His 204-yard game enabled Harmon's season total to reach 1,464 rushing yards. That moved Caleb into sixth place among PN-G's all-time single-season rushers — one yard behind the legendary Jeff "the Jet” Bergeron who gained 1,465 in

1972. The 1,464-yard total moved Harmon above Justin Eicher's 1,346 and Bobby LaBorde's 1,433.

The Indians' top five single-season rushers are Gordon LeBoeuf (2,150 yards in 1955), LeBoeuf (1,659 yards in 1954), Bergeron (1,550 in 1971), Ron McGill (1,493 in 1989) and Bergeron's 1,465.

When Harmon glanced at the leader board, he dreamed of the prospect of climbing the ladder much higher.

"Do the playoffs count?” Harmon asked this reporter, regarding the record chase.

Yes, the playoffs definitely count. But what about the 1,464 yards so far, Caleb?

"My line just blocked great,” Harmon said. “Mention each and every one of them.“

Center Klete LeBlanc, guards Gabe Langlois and Ben Parks, tackles Greg Lunceford and Kyler Nicotre paved the path to PN-G's 232 rushing yards on 39 carries. Indians QB Brennan Doty was sacked only once, while completing 11 of 21 passes for 190 yards and a touchdown.

Harmon scored on third-quarter touchdown runs of 5 and 15 yards. His most important gain of the night served as the first half's biggest play — a 70-yard gain on a trap play behind a path cleared by blocking back Ryan St. Clair.

When Cody Ross roared around the corner with 2:05 left in the third quarter, PN-G owned a 35-0 lead and started becoming interested in scores from other 20-4A outings.

Ozen retaliated in the final quarter with an impressive hurry-up, no-huddle offense engineered largely against Indians' reserves. Panthers passer Charles Durio connected with Stanleigh Sullivan on scoring passes of 25 and 7 yards and flipped a nine-yarder to Leroy Jackson.

Those numbers camouflaged another standout game by PN-G's first team, led by four sacks from D.J. Schexnider, seven tackles from always steady inside backer Kane Benoit and a great night of interior battling by Nathan Raggio, Dallas

Davis, and Taylor Thompson.

PN-G can now turn its attention to its long-awaited next game. The Indians know the identity of their next opponent.



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