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Port Arthur Memorial’s home opener was a clash of the Titans, if you will, as the home team emerged victorious versus the Legacy School of Sport Sciences — also the Titans, 41-34 on Friday night.

Memorial sat in the driver’s seat for nearly the entire contest but were challenged late and narrowly fended off a massive fourth-quarter comeback attempt by their opponents.

“I think it was a good learning lesson for our guys,” head coach Brian Morgan said postgame. “They probably let off their focus during the second half. Entering the third quarter, they kind of let off mentally, and Legacy didn’t. Hopefully it’s a learning point, we’re fortunate to win.”

The home team’s defense came out strong in the first half with a turnover and two sacks, also holding Legacy’s offense scoreless through the first 24 minutes of action.

A sack by linebacker Quarmaine Garlington forced a Legacy three-and-out on the opening drive. After the punt, Port Arthur Memorial took over at Legacy’s 39, but quarterback Jordan Jones fumbled a snap and lost the ball. However, Memorial got the ball back right after as defensive lineman 90 intercepted a pass at the line of scrimmage.

Port Arthur took over at their opponents’ 36-yard line. A few plays later, halfback Amante Martin punched in a 3-yard touchdown rush. The PAT was no good, but the home Titans took a 6-0 lead with six minutes to go in the first quarter.

Memorial found the end zone again in the closing minutes of the opening quarter as Martin rushed for a 38-yard touchdown. However, the play was called back due to a delay of game and Port Arthur was forced to punt soon after.

Legacy had their first real chance to score midway through the second quarter, but a field goal attempt fell short as Memorial held on to their 6-0 lead.

The visiting team had another chance to score shortly after facing a goal-to-go situation, but the talented Memorial defense got the crucial stop they needed. Linebacker Tank King tallied a tackle for loss and a sack kept Legacy out of the end zone.

Legacy’s only points of the first half came in the closing seconds before halftime. Memorial punted from deep within their own territory and the ball sailed past punter Oscar Salgado, who kicked it out of the back of the end zone. It was a savvy move — PA took a safety rather than risking a touchdown, and Memorial stayed ahead 6-2.

As the rain started pouring, Port Arthur Memorial started pouring on the points in the third quarter. A huge kick return by Alex Eugene gave the Titans great field position. They took advantage of it and Jones completed a pass to Semaj Pierre for a 35-yard touchdown. The two-point attempt failed, but the Titans boosted their lead to 12-2.

It started a flurry of scoring as Memorial found the end zone again after regaining possession in Legacy territory. Martin scored his second touchdown of the evening to put the Titans ahead 18-2.

Legacy struck back on the kickoff and returned it 90 yards for a score. Their PAT was blocked, leaving the score at 18-8.

Port Arthur wasn’t done though and responded with an incredible kickoff return of their own as Brock King ran one back 75 yards for a TD. This PAT was successful, and the scoreboard read 25-8.

The Titans gained another two points moments later when Michael Riles pressured the Legacy quarterback, resulting in a fumble that rolled out of bounds for a safety. Port Arthur Memorial pushed further ahead, 27-8 with nine minutes to go in the third quarter.

Memorial defensive back King then intercepted a pass at his team’s 40. Martin took the first carry of the drive 60 yards for his third score of the night and the Titans went up 34-8.

Legacy’s offense finally connected for their first offensive score, a 25-yard pass with five minutes left in the third quarter. The two-point conversion was good as they chipped away at the Memorial lead, 34-16.

Port Arthur Memorial scored once again at the end of the third quarter. An impressive 35-yard pass to receiver Keavon Roberts set the Titans up with goal-to-go and Eugene ran it across the goal line to make it a 41-16 game.

While Legacy’s hopes of of comeback were running thin, the visitors mounted an impressive attempt. Star quarterback Keiesean Henderson, one of the top recruits in the class of 2026, lofted an impressive throw off his back foot for a 14-yard score with 10:41 left to play. With six minutes to go, they threw a 50-yard touchdown and drew closer, 41-28. With 3:30 left in the game, they again connected as Kameron Williams hauled in a 60-yard touchdown pass, though the two-point attempt was intercepted by Port Arthur’s Amir Young.

Suddenly, it was a one-score game with Memorial leading, 41-34. Facing third-and-10, Martin found a hole and rushed for a 36-yard gain to ice the game and let his team kneel the clock out. The home Titans escaped with a 41-34 win over the visiting Titans.

Port Arthur Memorial improves to 2-0 and will travel to Missouri City, TX to face the Fort Bend Hightower Hurricanes next Friday.