Elijah Hines waited all game to break free.

When it came time, the senior running back sealed the deal at Memorial Stadium.

“I just had to stay positive,” he said. “I had to work with my o-line until positive things happened.”

Hines rushed 38 yards for a touchdown with 7:22 remaining in the game, and that gave Port Arthur Memorial the insurance in a 31-19 comeback win over Lumberton on Saturday. He finished with 79 yards on 16 totes, after netting zero yards on eight before halftime.

“Elijah Hines continued to trust in the offensive line and continued to read things in the correct way,” Memorial coach Kenny Harrison said. “He finally got a crease there and show what he was able to do.”

Quarterback Keitha Jones carried 17 times for 121 yards and completed 11 of 21 passes for 111 yards to lead the Titans (4-0, 4-0 in 22-5A).

Saturday ended a stretch of four games in 18 days for Memorial and some other teams in District 22-5A as the league’s compressed schedule concluded. The Titans will begin a regular slate of Friday games starting this coming weekend against Port Neches-Groves.

“I’m just proud of these kids, they way the overcame all that adversity of playing four games in 18 days,” Harrison said. “That’s huge. It’s a grind. They had no days off, and we finally get to go on a regular schedule and get back to work.”

After opening the season with two decisive victories, the Titans were tested for the second time in six days, weathering a 52-minute weather delay and coming back from a 13-0 deficit to win. Memorial beat Nederland 13-7 on Monday, stopping the Bulldogs on their final drive.

Facing third and 18 near the end of the first quarter, Keitha Jones connected with James Francis on a 39-yard reception to the Raiders’ 1. That play began the Titans’ second comeback this week, as Jones followed with a 13-yard carry and capped the drive with a 1-yard loft to Jomard Valsin, a regular linebacker.

Memorial began to contain Lumberton senior Josh Ward (26 carries, 81 yards), who had 57 yards and a touchdown on his first seven carries, and forced a punt with 8:59 left before halftime. But linebacker Cade Flowers picked off Jones and returned it 10 yards to the Raiders’ 49.

Jace Bridges, who completed 6 of 8 first-half passes for Lumberton (3-2, 2-2), spun out of a sack on fourth-and-5 and reversed to his left to pick up nine yards. Six plays later, Kaleb Karr’s 31-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left.

Memorial covered 80 yards in 2:19 on its next series, as Jones, who completed 4 of 5 passes on the drive, scored on a 36-yard keeper with 1:00 left. Kenny Pham’s second extra point gave the Titans their first lead.

Early on, the Titans faced their biggest deficit of the season.

Both teams went empty on their first two possessions, but Sage Jones recovered a blocked Memorial punt in the end zone to open the scoring late in the first period. The extra-point attempt sailed to the right.

Pham tried a 49-yard field goal on the Titans’ next movement, but it fell just a couple of yards shy of the crossbar. Lumberton got in a 6-yard pass play just after a lightning strike to the north of Memorial Stadium was spotted, pausing the game at 4:27 p.m.

Ward carried on Lumberton’s first four plays after the pause, scoring from 28 yards out.

Hines helped Memorial carry some momentum into the second half. He had 24 yards on six carries of the opening third-quarter drive, which Pham capped with a 35-yard make to put the Titans up 17-13.

Memorial worked with a short field on its next drive and scored in four plays on Jones’ 13-yard tote to make it 24-13. Lumberton clawed to within 24-19 after recovering a fumbled snap in Memorial’s punt formation and capitalizing with Ty Cruse’s 15-yard catch from Bridges with 8:53 left.

The very next drive, the Titans covered 55 yards in three plays, Hines’ touchdown run all but slamming the door on the Raiders.

Memorial’s defense held Lumberton to 50 second-half yards and 158 for the game, while its offense netted 319.

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I.C. Murrell: 549-8541. Twitter: @ICMurrellPANews