BOYS BASKETBALL: Memorial sends off Titans to San Antonio
Published 9:59 am Wednesday, March 7, 2018
The Memorial Flames, a dance group of the MHS band, march during the boys basketball team’s sendoff to San Antonio on Wednesday morning. (I.C. Murrell/The News)
Students and members of the Memorial boys basketball team march during the team’s sendoff to San Antonio on Wednesday morning. (I.C. Murrell/The News)
Memorial boys basketball coach Kenneth Coleman leads the team during their sendoff to San Antonio on Wednesday morning. (I.C. Murrell/The News)
The Memorial flag line dances through the commons area Wednesday morning during the boys basketball team’s sendoff to San Antonio. (I.C. Murrell/The News)
Memorial boys basketball coach Kenneth Coleman shows excitement during his team’s sendoff to San Antonio on Wednesday morning. (I.C. Murrell/The News)
Memorial basketball players Tyler Guidry and Kenneth Lofton Jr. get a high-five from the Memorial band director during a Wednesday morning sendoff to San Antonio. (I.C. Murrell/The News)
The Memorial High band lead the march of the boys basketball team during a Wednesday morning sendoff to San Antonio. (I.C. Murrell/The News)
From left, Memorial assistant coach Antonio Cooper, wearing a hood, and players Darion Chatman, Jamyus Jones and Reao Keller walk to their bus during their sendoff to San Antonio on Wednesday morning. (I.C. Murrell/The News)
Memorial High faculty members and students cheer on the boys basketball team during their sendoff to San Antonio. (I.C. Murrell/The News)
A woman hugs Memorial guard Darion Chatman as the boys basketball team marches to their bus during a Wednesday morning sendoff to San Antonio. (I.C. Murrell/The News)
Click here for video from the sendoff.
No Port Arthur ISD basketball team has played in the state championship rounds since 2000 — or won it all since 1995 — so the Memorial High School boys team’s trip to San Antonio was worth a big sendoff.
Students and faculty members lined the first floor hall of Memorial on Wednesday morning to cheer on the Titans, with the MHS band leading the way, as they headed toward their bus to prepare for Thursday’s University Interscholastic League 5A semifinal game against Midlothian, a team from the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
This is the first state final four appearance for both schools, but Port Arthur teams have won eight UIL state championships and one in the former Prairie View Interscholastic League in history. Lincoln was the most dominant of the town’s high schools, having won the 1956 PVIL title and eight UIL championships between (1981, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1995). The 1998-99 Lincoln team is the most recent from Port Arthur to play in a state title game, losing to Crowley.
Thomas Jefferson — the last PAISD team to reach the state semifinals 18 years ago — won a state title in 1957 and nearly repeated in 1958, losing to Pampa 48-47.
Memorial was established just before the 2002-03 school year as a result of the merger among Lincoln, Jefferson and Stephen F. Austin high schools.
Fans not at the Alamodome can watch the semifinal games live in all six classifications Thursday and Friday on NFHSNetwork.com (subscription required). The website will stream live Saturday’s championship games in classes 1A-5A, with the 6A title game to air on Fox Sports Southwest.
Sports editor I.C. Murrell is also posting an online journal of his travel to San Antonio during the Titans’ run on the Port Arthur News Sports Facebook page. He will offer live tweets of Thursday’s game (and Saturday’s championship, should the Titans make it) on Twitter @ICMurrellPANews.
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Page B1: The “J’s” have scored big for the Titans
About I.C. Murrell
I.C. Murrell was promoted to editor of The News, effective Oct. 14, 2019. He previously served as sports editor since August 2015 and has won or shared eight first-place awards from state newspaper associations and corporations. He was born in Memphis, Tennessee, grew up mostly in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and graduated from the University of Arkansas at Monticello.
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