Are you ready for some football? If any reader said no, stop now and go get your head checked. Monday is the first day of practice for a majority of high school football teams, Port Arthur Memorial starts the following week after participating in spring practice. To kick things off, The News is scheduled to be out at practices and getting the stories from the first days of work. The News also wants readers to remember the annual preview section will be published Thursday, Aug. 27. Nederland’s Austin Krautz, Memorial’s Kameron Martin and Port Neches-Groves’ Adam Morse are the coverboys this year…Lets talk some tennis, I am kidding folks…Larry Neumann is starting his 23rd year at Nederland High School. He is set to start his third different quarterback in three years as the Bulldogs transition from the Sage Seay led-2014 season. Seay was named Port Arthur News Super Team Most Valuable Player last year. This year the Bulldogs start with Mitchell LeBaron under center. Nederland also loses four starters on defense that were apart of the Super Team…Brandon Faircloth starts his seventh season at Port Neches-Groves High School and his Indians bring back Morse under center. The Indians lose talented receiver Kaleb Sparks and running back Brant Halfin who were both on the Super Team in 2014. Three defenders off the PN-G team made the Super Team last year and graduated this past May…Kenny Harrison starts his seventh year at Memorial after a 3-7 2014. Son Kadon Harrison will be under center with talented running backs in Martin and Marcus Younger. The Titans lost three Super Team players to graduation including running back Corey Dauphine who is now at Texas Tech. Memorial starts fall practice on Aug. 10 after participating in spring practice…Martin by the way is closer than some would think to becoming the all-time rushing leader by a Port Arthur running back. Martin has 2,323 yards in his career while Jamaal Charles holds the record with 4,069 yards. Martin needs 1,748 yards to break the record. Everyone wish Martin a happy birthday this Wednesday…West Orange-Stark fans remember the name Dillon Sterling-Cole. Sterling-Cole is the quarterback who transferred to Westfield from WO-S prior to the 2014 football season. Sterling-Cole has announced his commitment to Arizona State over offers from the University of Houston, Florida, Texas A&M and Mississippi State. Do not feel too bad for the Mustangs on losing such a highly recruited quarterback because Sterling-Cole’s departure coupled with the loss of his replacement Chase Rutledge brought on Jack Dallas who helped guide the Mustangs to the 2014 state title game…Congratulations on what Matt Burnett is calling a retirement. Burnett has retired from Port Neches-Groves ISD and reported Friday he has several opportunities he is thinking over to take up in the future. Burnett is the winningest coach in PNG history and he is a brilliant defensive mind. He would be a great addition to a staff that needs defensive help, especially in our immediate area. Hint, hint…Now we break for a little baseball talk. How about them Astros? First Scott Kazmir and now Carlos Gomez. If you have not noticed, this team is for real. Going into Friday’s game against Arizona, the Astros had taken a two-game lead in the AL West after sweeping the L.A. Angels. There is no better No. 1 and No. 2 hitters over Jose Altuve and Gomez. Then, to be followed by Carlos Correa is downright nasty. Houston is set up to do serious damage in the playoffs. Oh and by the way, George Springer is set to return in late August.
Gabriel Pruett is a sports writer at The News. He can be reached at gabe.pruett@panews.com.