The atmosphere at AT&T Stadium was electric as the second edition of one of the newer rivalries in Texas high school football commenced.
Port Neches-Groves (14-1) traveled to Dallas with their faithful and rowdy supporters in tow, with the sole intention of getting revenge against South Oak Cliff (13-2) in order to claim the coveted UIL state championship.
After falling to the Golden Bears in last year’s Class 5A-II title game (34-24), this game meant everything to the Indians.
That mentality was palpable as soon as PNG took to the field.
The first half featured a back-and-forth effort from both sides, with the lone touchdown being scored by South Oak Cliff's Danny Green Jr. (Sr. RB).
However, defense and special teams were king for the Indians, as they limited the Bears to 10 points within the first 24 minutes, while senior kicker Gio Oceguera completed three successful field goal attempts to keep the score close (10-9) before half-time.
Matthew Ogle (VYPE)
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Matthew Ogle (VYPE)
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Matthew Ogle (VYPE)
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Matthew Ogle (VYPE)
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Half No. 2 proved to be more of the same, with Green Jr. scoring once again on the ground with 5:17 remaining in the 3rd quarter, which would ultimately be the final points that SOC would score in the match.
It was at this moment that the momentum flipped in PNG's favor, as the Indians would score 10 unanswered points, courtesy of yet another field goal by Oceguera, and a goal-line rushing TD by senior Shea Adams, followed by a two-point conversion scored by Isaiah Nguyen (111 yards rushing in the game).
“We were obviously frustrated to not be able to make it down the field and score on multiple occasions," said Adams. "But at the end of the day we were still putting points up on the board, and we knew that our defense wasn't going to give up much. Eventually, we were finally able to take advantage and it worked out in the end."
Not so surprisingly, the defensive effort -- headlined by the Defensive MVP Max Scroggs (Sr. LB) who had two fumble recoveries on the day -- proved to be the determining factor in defeating South Oak Cliff by a score of 20-17.
Additionally, the senior kicker Oceguera was recognized as the Offensive MVP, given that his clutch presence provided the Indians 12 of their points.
This would deny the Dallas ISD team their third-straight UIL championship – a feat that only Aledo has accomplished in Class 5A (2018-2020).
"It was so sweet," said senior DB Reid Richard. "They (South Oak Cliff) were talking all game to us and it's that much better whenever we get the chance to win, especially in front of the crowd we always have. It's just as big of a deal to them as it is for us to do something like this."
In doing so, PNG made history themselves. Coach Jeff Joseph and company broke a nearly five-decade long drought, winning the state title for the first time since 1975.
“I've gotten more text messages this week than you would believe, from people in our area, telling me 'bring it home' and 'represent Southeast Texas'," said Joseph. "For us, it's nice to do that, but we play for each other. It's about our team and our community. We have a big mentality at PNG and I think that we showed that to Texas this game."
The reinvigorated PNG Indians are likely going to be a state powerhouse for years to come, and it starts with the precedent they've now set on the grand stage.