By Tom Halliburton
BEAUMONT — Zach Rhame, Dre Dunbar, Spencer DeRon, Kane Benoit, Caleb Harmon and a cast of purple hats by the dozens pulled out a Port Neches-Groves miracle for the ages.
Completing the school’s first 10-0 perfect regular season in 32 years, the Indians defied the odds and captured a 25-22 double-overtime victory that contained everything but a Ben Hur chariot race.
PN-G trailed 22-20 when Central’s Nijel Daw capped off a gutsy 73-yard, 13-play scoring drive with 43 seconds left before an overflow crowd of 9,000 at Babe Zaharias Stadium on Friday night.
How the 7-3 Jaguars wanted to win their final game ever on their home field.
It looked as if they would until the Indians’ Dunbar dashed 95 yards on a runback of the ensuing extra point kick. It’s not more than a five-year-old NCAA and UIL rule but the defensive team is awarded two points if it can secure a missed extra-point kick and take it back the distance. Central’s extra-point kicker Juan Cardenas had booted the ball too low.
Suddenly coach Brandon Faircloth’s Tribe found an Indian fortune of immeasurable value. The 22-22 count meant overtime and senior placekicker Rhame won it with a flawless 24-yard field goal from the left hash mark to end the second overtime.
“I don’t know how long they’ve had the rule but I’m sure glad we had it tonight,” said Faircloth, whose team claimed the outright District 20-4A championship. “We got real lucky tonight.
“I just thank the Lord first. It’s not me. It’s everybody. It’s our program. I know my name is at the head of it but these coaches and players have given the heart and effort to make this happen.”
PN-G will face Barbers Hill in the Class 4A Division 2 bidistrict round at a site and date to be determined. Officials had hoped to reserve Baytown’s Stallworth Stadium for Friday night but remained uncertain about their arrangements.
Harmon moved from sixth to third on PN-G’s all-time single-season rushing list, carrying 30 times for 133 yards and one touchdown. The Indians senior tailback passed Jeff Bergeron twice and Ron McGill once to lift his 10-game total to 1,597 yards.
Central’s superb running game and cat-quick defense looked quite prepared to spoil PN-G’s perfect season, though. The Jaguars won the turnover count, 4-2, intercepting Brennan Doty twice and jarring fumbles from Doty and DeRon.
When Central’s Byron Samuels locked Doty’s arms from the blindside and forced a fumble, Jaguars linebacker Jacoby Hale scooped it up and dashed 76 yards to score and give Central an early 9-0 lead.
A well-executed Doty to Kyler Segura pass trimmed the gap early in the second quarter, yet PN-G trailed at half for the first time all season, 16-7.
Central’s leading rusher O’Neal (23 for 127 and a TD) offered the Jags outside speed and Nijel Daw (22 for 87 and a TD) added inside toughness. Although DeRon made a terrific over-the-shoulder touchdown catch (6 for 53) with 59 seconds left in the third quarter, PN-G took a most-shaky 20-16 edge into the final quarter.
The Jags won possession time substantially, 27:26-20:34; rushing yards, 222-141; total yards, 295-248; turnovers, 4-2; and first downs, 17-16.
“We had ’em,” Central’s O’Neal said dejectedly. “We played our hearts out for four quarters and just didn’t get it done.”
Central’s clock ownership never seemed so obvious than on the last scoring drive in regulation. The Jags chewed up six minutes and 21 seconds to take the 22-20 lead.
But PN-G’s defense had tried hard to block kicks all night. When the extra point lacked enough loft, it looked as if Benoit accidentally enabled the ball to deflect toward Dunbar who alertly headed down PN-G’s sideline.
“Nobody really blocked it,” said outside backer Nathan Raggio. “It was a low line drive but Kane hit it up in the air.”
That enabled Dunbar to pluck it on the run and go the other way. A most difficult 22-20 deficit suddenly turned into a 22-22 knot.
“I just got a chance to catch it and I didn’t know if I could make it all the way,” Dunbar said.
The first overtime ended scoreless because Rhame’s 41-yard field goal fell short and Indians’ corner Aaron Brandom picked off a Central rollout pass. So the hosts tried again to begin the second OT. Dallas Davis, Taylor Thompson and D.J. Schexnider plugged up the middle to stop Daw for no gain on 4th and 1 at PN-G’s 16.
Four plays later, Rhame booted home the winner, after Central called time-out to test his nerves.
“I just felt the pressure of the whole community,” Rhame said. “They gave me enough time to get nervous but this one is for our team. We deserve it.”
Call these 10-0 Indians outright District 20-4A football champions.
