PEARLAND — Let the rivalry begin.

The Port Arthur Memorial Titans might have finished fourth in the team standings, but it was the relay races that had all eyes on the track at a 6A area-round meet.

The Titans won the 4×100 and 4×200 relays over Manvel, only to have the Mavericks come back and win the 4×400 in the last race of the night.

Words started to fly between the two teams once the final race was complete, and Memorial coach Darrell Granger said his team is ready to see Manvel again at the 6A Region III meet next week at Clear Creek High School in League City.

“It is good competition, but you have to keep it to a point where you understand it’s only good competition,” Granger said.

Granger admitted his Titans seemed to go a little harder this week knowing the Mavericks were on the track. Manvel defeated Memorial at the 2015 6A state championships, 55-44.

“Anytime you push yourself to where you have the other team competing harder, that is good running,” Granger said. “That is good, clean running. It is nothing against anyone. It just comes down to we are not going to back down against anybody.”

The Titans opened the meet with a first-place finish in the 4×100 with a time of 40.60 seconds.

Junior De’Andre Angelle got off to a very fast start before handing to Kary Vincent Jr. Kameron Martin and Michael Ford finished the race.

Manvel finished second at 40.81.

Martin, Quantae Conner, Vincent and Angelle teamed up in the 4×200 relay and finished at 1:25.26, ahead of Manvel’s 1:25.47.

Manvel got the best of the Titans in the 4×400 with a strong second leg by D’Vaughn Pennamon.

The Mavericks finished at 3:13.03 and Memorial was second at 3:13.84.

The Titans’ time was three seconds faster than the team ran at the District 21-6A meet last week.

“That is a great way to end an area meet,” Granger said. “Anytime you can run faster than you have been, that is a stepping stone to where you want to go.”

Thursday’s meet also set the stage for a new rivalry between Vincent and West Brook’s Jeffery Hulon Jr. in the 200-meter dash.

Vincent beat Hulon last week, but it was Hulon who took first Thursday. Hulon edged Vincent by the times of 21.29 to 21.30.

Also for Memorial, JaQuan Francois advanced to the regional meet in the 800-meter run with a second-place finish of 1:57.23. J’Koven Celestine qualified for next week in both the triple and long jumps.

Celestine won the triple with a jump of 43 feet, 3 inches, and was third in the long jump with a leap of 21-6.5.

Chakaylin Gilbert reached the regional meet on the girls side for Memorial with a fourth-place finish in the triple jump. Her best jump was 35-7.25.

Gilbert finished second in the long jump at 17-8.

Aniya Duhon, Jamiya Dixon, Ayala Stevens and Gilbert finished fourth in the 4×200 with a time of 1:42.45.