The News staff report

LUMBERTON — Sabine Pass waited five years to return to the UIL football playoffs. Now, the Sharks would like for their return to be a distant memory.

The unbeaten Tenaha Tigers showed little mercy Thursday night in routing Sabine Pass 82-0 in a 2A Division II bi-district game at Lumberton High School, ending the Sharks’ season at 6-5.

Thursday’s statistics were not available.

It was rough from the start for the Sharks, who finished District 12-2A Division II play 3-3 and the fourth seed. With running back D’Coven Turner already nursing a shoulder injury in the loss to Evadale the week before, fullback Brayden Miller also went down before halftime Thursday with an unspecified injury. Tenaha (11-0), the 11-4A Division II champion, led 45-0 at halftime.

The Sharks wrapped up their first season under Jason Thibodeaux since 2010, when he concluded a five-year stint. Under him, the Sharks still broke many droughts this season. Their six victories are the most since the 1983 team went 9-2 and secured their first winning season since then. They also ended an 18-game losing streak in Week 2, going on to win five straight games.

Sabine Pass is 0-4 all-time in playoffs, having appeared in 1974, 1983 and 2011. The team was district champion in its first two appearances.

Tenaha will take on the winner of Meridian and Detroit, who played Thursday in Forney.