PAnews.com, Port Arthur, Texas

Sports

Discussion

November 4, 2009

LeBlanc: Faircloth made me a player

By Tom Halliburton

PORT NECHES -- Klete LeBlanc's world as a Port Neches-Groves football player completely changed from his very first moments around Brandon Faircloth.

  The Indians' newly hired head football coach addressed his players for the first time early in February. The impressions, the resolve, the words all sunk very deeply into the 18-year-old candidate for an offensive line position.

  The 6-1, 230-pound LeBlanc recalled those special moments on Wednesday afternoon.

  "He said to us, 'We're expecting great things here'," LeBlanc recalled. "He said, 'We're going to push you to your limits and if you give it your all, you will see the results.

  "That man made me and our teammates much improved. Our team is three times better from the way he's come in here and set forth his program. We've had a great work ethic. And we've done everything we could to be at our best right now."

  From the start of February through the end of May, PN-G's 2009 football candidates blossomed that much.

  This reporter gave his opinion to PN-G principal Marc Keith in the final moments of the spring game in late May.

  "Marc, I don't see any reason why this team is not capable of going 10-0," this Port Arthur News reporter said.

  Now the Indians are 9-0, eighth in the Class 4A state rankings for the third straight week and at least District 20-4A co-champions. Their center all season has been so flawless that Klete LeBlanc has made very few errant deliveries to his taller or shorter quarterback five yards deep in the shotgun.

  Whether it's 6-2 starter Brennan Doty or 5-10 backup Matt Desmond, LeBlanc's portion of the play almost always goes unnoticed. Yes, an occasional snap has misfired but very few. The average PN-G fan has to feel as if each Indians' play begins with the quarterback. That's how automatic Klete's work has been.

  "Overall I think I've done as good as I should have," LeBlanc said.

  LeBlanc has not tried to suggest he's been perfect. The Barbers Hill outing contained first-game jitters. The Nederland night was filled with hype. The Livingston trip contained plenty of rain, mud, and mushy footballs. Besides Faircloth, offensive line coach Joe Dale Cary and the Port Neches-Groves constituency has made a champion's contribution to this championship season, too.

  The PN-G constituency? Yes. Absolutely. PN-G's tax payers and fan base voted for a bond to approve numerous upgrades in the PNGISD. They included field turf and renovations for Indian Stadium. LeBlanc has loved to snap the ball in the shotgun on field turf. PN-G had not won any of three 3-0 home games on The Reservation in 2008. They produced a perfect 7-0 ledger there in 2009 and LeBlanc's snaps offered precious few imperfections.

  "The field turf has been great," the son of Kenward and Denise LeBlanc said. "It gives us a great practice facility. Especially when it rains, it drains really well. Snapping the ball can be tough when the grass is wet but the turf makes it a million times better."

  Faircloth's off-season was tough and rigorous. Klete has no problem realizing his personal sacrifice-reward ratio. It's sort of like that plus 21 turnover ratio on the Tribe's ledger through nine games.

  Look at what Faircloth and Cary and PN-G football dedication has done for LeBlanc in the past year?

  "It's made me the player I am right now," he said. "I played a little on defense and weighed more like 250 a year ago. I ran about a 5.6. Now I'm down to 230 and I run about a 5.3."

  It may be a mistake for LeBlanc to have said that. Faircloth and Cary may want Klete to work harder for the rest of the year, and do even more to help PN-G make a lengthy Class 4A playoff run.

  But Klete tell the public that he's grateful for these new coaches and their impact on PN-G's program.

  "They have made me the player I am today," he said.

  The more modest Indians' brain trust reserved the right to disagree.

  "He's handled every challenge all season," Cary said. "He's identifying the defensive front for us on every play. He sets the protection for us when we're throwing. He's had quite a bit to do with (tailback Caleb) Harmon's numbers. He's blocked against some good ones."

  Klete's biggest challenge of the regular season likely comes this Friday against Beaumont Central's front seven. The Indians seek the outright 20-4A crown against the Jaguars in Beaumont's Babe Zaharias Stadium at 7:30.

 

Indian Inklings

  The Port Arthur News Friday Night Experience will televise the PN-G at Central game on Time Warner Cable 15 Saturday at noon. The game also will be launched approximately at that time on panews.com, pngindians.com, and SETXsports.com with Francis Schroeder and Bob West on the telecast. KCOL-FM (92.5) will carry the live broadcast from Babe Zaharias Stadium with Joe Arnold and Paul Brown. KFDM-TV Channel 6's Friday Night Tailgate Party also will feature the PN-G at Central matchup on Friday at 10:35 p.m..... Senior offensive right guard Brant Boudoin will return to the starting lineup this week after not starting last week.... Indians pep rally will be Friday in the gym at 2:30 p.m.... Coach Ryan Cox's undefeated Indians junior varsity goes for a perfect 10-0 season tonight in Indian Stadium at 6:30 against Beaumont Central. A mighty good young coach in his own right, Cox has coached PN-G's inside linebackers. Plus the JV has won each of its nine games so far by 10 points or more.... One of Central's bigger weapons, tailback-kick returner Damon Heard, was ruled out of the PN-G game on Wednesday afternoon due to a broken collar bone.... An A-B student, Klete LeBlanc has been interested in physical therapy, training and coaching futures as college pursuits.... Indians are 9-0 for the first time since 1989, but they are 10-0 for the first time since 1977 if they are victorious this week. Coach Doug Ethridge's Class 5A finalists of '77 went 14-1, losing 13-10 to Plano in the state title game.



Text Only
Sports
  • Super Bowl 46-1stQ-05.JPG SLIDESHOW: Giants beat Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI The New York Giants won their fourth NFL championship Sunday in Indianapolis, scoring in the final minute to defeat New England 21-17.

    February 6, 2012 1 Photo

  • Ford tough leader for young Titans

    February 8, 2012

  • James, Lamb lead LU romp over Demons

    February 8, 2012

  • Seahawks overcome player shortage, win easily

    Matt Cross wondered Wednesday whether Lamar Port Arthur’s basketball team had enough healthy players available to face Kilgore College.
    The Lamar State program literally was falling apart before head coach Cross’ eyes. The game clock didn’t work. The players were dropping like Lakeshore mosquitoes.
    Point guard Derrick Dawkins had crutches after sustaining a knee injury Saturday. Wing man Elton Roy missed last Saturday’s game with a knee sprain. Opposite wing Eldridge Moore was hobbled by an ankle sprain. Power man Jayon James was sick with bronchitis. Post man Elijah Pittman seemed out of sorts too.
    “I’m only about 75 percent,” said the Seahawks third-year coach after canceling a lunch appointment.
    It got worse at the start of this 75-50 victory in Carl Parker Center before life improved any on the good ship Seahawk.
    Playmaker deluxe Brandon Peters said he was “hit in the mouth” by a Kilgore player’s shoulder.
    “I’m going to have to go to the dentist tomorrow morning,” Peters said, shaking his head. “The guy knocked my teeth all the way back.”
    Battered and beaten to a pulp, the Seahawks (especially Peters) proved that basketball definitely is played above the shoulders, too.
    More than anything else, Lamar State simply relaxed and rebounded. And rebounded some more.
    The Seahawks crashed the boards in a way that they have not pounded them in a couple of weeks. They knocked home seven three-pointers and welcomed a special addition to their star of the game show. Lamar State College-Port Arthur, meet Lakeem Duncan.
    “We asked one person to step up in practice with Derrick going to the doctor tomorrow (Thursday) and Lakeem did,” his head coach Cross said.
    Duncan led the way with 16 points and backcourt buddy Shondel Stewart added 15. Peters changed jerseys (to 32 from his usual 23) after losing blood from being hit in the mouth. Peters had 11 points and 8 boards. Roy patiently treated his wounded knee all weekend with ice and also scored 11. Bum ankle or not, Moore managed 10 boards and 8 points.
    And a clean shaven head coach smiled afterwards after every one in Seahawk Nation told him that his team needed to rebound better. After Trinity Valley outrebounded Lamar State by seven on Saturday, the Seahawks returned to work and captured the backboard battle on this night, 33-22.
    “I thought we rebounded the ball well consistently,” Cross said. “We’re still No. 1 in our conference and if we can get everybody healthy, we can still have a very good chance to defend our championship.”
    Parker Center’s game clock has been malfunctioning for the past three home games and it had a way of really dictating a lot about this game. The game officials had to frequently counsel Kilgore head coach Brian Hoberecht about the clock and its unpredictable nature.
    A very good indicator of Seahawks prosperity arrived eight minutes into this one when Roy penetrated on a weave and dished out to Moore in the left corner. The 6-5 sophomore knocked home a three-pointer for a 15-8 Lamar State lead. Kilgore never got within five points the rest of the game.
    Another telltale moment developed right before the half when Roy missed a jumper, but followed his own shot on a layup to give the Seabirds a 36-19 cushion. Kilgore never got closer than 10 after that.
    Lamar State (18-5 and 10-2) will welcome all the support in Baytown that it can receive on Saturday night. The Seahawks visit Lee College that night at 7:30 p.m.

    February 8, 2012

  • LU to honor Gilligan as distinguished alumnus

    February 7, 2012

  • Fans can vote for Mike James as dunker

    February 7, 2012

  • LSC-PA seeks to rebound from home loss

    February 7, 2012

  • LU hosts Demons in SLC East showdown

    February 7, 2012

  • Stroud's putting improvement reason for optimism

    February 7, 2012

  • Henry, Williams lead Port Arthur Memorial into playoffs

    February 6, 2012