Football - Offense

[benchwarmer53]

What about the guys from the 53,55,75 team and the 60's? Miller, Dorsey, Esquevel, Avant,Heldueser, Robinson, Aggie, etc...I didn't think Lungsford ever actually played at Blinn.

How about Jackie Hathorn . QB, DB, K and P. All District 1953, 1954 and 1955. Played in the stone age when the QB called the plays and not the coaches.

 

[pngfanatic]

My first post here.

If someone doesn't mention Jeff Bergeron I'm going to have a conniption fit! So I'll save myself the trouble!

Bergeron was the #1 rated HS RB in America his senior year. #2 was a guy named Tony Dorsett. I think this was by Parade ... not sure. Also know that The Jet was way sub 10 seconds in the 100.

He was also pressed into defensive service against Lincoln and the great Joe Washington Jr. Saw him catch Little Joe within 30 yards with Washington having a good 5-7 yard lead. This was Bergerons Jr. season.

Bergeron is the most decorated player in PNG history. He was on the Parade All-American team with Tony Dorsett. He was also the #1 football recruit in Texas in 1973. He had offers from every major college in the country.

His speed is legendary. Not only was he fast (ran a 10.4 100m at Lamar), he was also explosive - 4.4 40yd dash with an occasional 4.3. I was also at the 1971 Lincoln game and saw him run down Joe Washington - easily. You can watch that play on Beau Freyou's excellent "Glory Trails: The History of Port Neches Groves Football" (which is posted on YouTube).

I've been watching PNG football since 1961 and Bergeron is best offensive player (and athlete) I've seen. The only other player in his league is Roschon Johnson.

 

[IndianFan]

Bergeron is the most decorated player in PNG history. He was on the Parade All-American team with Tony Dorsett. He was also the #1 football recruit in Texas in 1973. He had offers from every major college in the country.

His speed is legendary. Not only was he fast (ran a 10.4 100m at Lamar), he was also explosive - 4.4 40yd dash with an occasional 4.3. I was also at the 1971 Lincoln game and saw him run down Joe Washington - easily. You can watch that play on Beau Freyou's excellent "Glory Trails: The History of Port Neches Groves Football" (which is posted on YouTube).

I've been watching PNG football since 1961 and Bergeron is best offensive player (and athlete) I've seen. The only other player in his league is Roschon Johnson.

Great stuff. Please share more memories.

Bergeron has been a member of our unofficial Hall of Honor since day 1. Amazingly he is NOT a member of the Gulf Coast Museum, which is rather unfortunate.

I had a Mean Joe Green kind of moment meeting Jeff 'The Jet' Bergeron when I was a young kid (referring to this old Coke commercial). I was standing with my Dad along the fence that used to surround the playing field at Indian Stadium. It was pregame warm ups and a ball flew over everyone's heads and rolled all the way to the end zone fence. Jeff Bergeron retrieved the ball and greeted us. I was wearing my purple with white #24 jersey from Estes Sporting Goods on Gulfway, and also my white cleats. Obviously I never forgot that. Heck, when you're a kid those high school players seem like pro players.

Bergeron was later an assistant coach for the Indians and is still working for PNGISD as Maintenance Director. He is a true PN-G legend and still loyal to the school and community.



Former Indians that played in the AFL or NFL like Gordon LeBoeuf, Mike Simpson and Robert Giblin were special players too.

 

[IndianFan]

 

[IndianFan]

Does anyone know how old the Geronimo statue is? The above photo was 47 years ago!

 

[IndianFan]

LeBoeuf was Babe Ruth of PN-G football - PN-G Indians Football

Published December 19, 2009 09:33 pm By Russ DeVillier Special to The News Gordon LeBoeuf is to Port Neches-Groves football what Babe Ruth is to the New York Yankees. They performed on their respective fields with gusto and bravado, complete confidence, and the prowess to prevail. In so doing...

www.pngindians.com

 

[1989NDN]

Does anyone know how old the Geronimo statue is? The above photo was 47 years ago!

According to page 29 of the 1964 War Whoop, the 1963-1964 student council purchased Geroniomo and presented it to the school as a gift and symbol of Indian spirit. Geronimo is a seven-foot statute intended to represent spirit and pride in PN-G. He has been a fixture at PN-G football games since the 1965 season. If my math is correct, 1965-2019, means that Geronimo has been attending PN-G football games for 54 seasons. At the close of 2019, PN-G played 991 games (1925-2019). Geronimo has been to more than half of them (and that is a generous estimate; 54 seasons x 10 games = 540). Factor in playoff games between 1965 and 2019 and I bet his number of games is closer to 600.

Go Indians. Peace.

 

[pngfanatic]

Great stuff. Please share more memories.

Bergeron has been a member of our unofficial Hall of Honor since day 1. Amazingly he is NOT a member of the Gulf Coast Museum, which is rather unfortunate.

I had a Mean Joe Green kind of moment meeting Jeff 'The Jet' Bergeron when I was a young kid (referring to this old Coke commercial). I was standing with my Dad along the fence that used to surround the playing field at Indian Stadium. It was pregame warm ups and a ball flew over everyone's heads and rolled all the way to the end zone fence. Jeff Bergeron retrieved the ball and greeted us. I was wearing my purple with white #24 jersey from Estes Sporting Goods on Gulfway, and also my white cleats. Obviously I never forgot that. Heck, when you're a kid those high school players seem like pro players.

Bergeron was later an assistant coach for the Indians and is still working for PNGISD as Maintenance Director. He is a true PN-G legend and still loyal to the school and community.

View attachment 467

Former Indians that played in the AFL or NFL like Gordon LeBoeuf, Mike Simpson and Robert Giblin were special players too.

Nice memory. I don't think there are any bigger sports heroes than the ones you have as a kid. For me it's always been Charlie Wallace. I was a 10 year old when he led the Indians to their first 11-4A district championship in 1961. I'll never forget him throwing a 4yd halfback pass to R.H. Wallace (no relation) with no time remaining to defeat Orange 14-12 in the last game of the season. Wallace made many clutch plays like that in football, basketball and baseball. He was honorable mention all-state running back as a junior in 1961. He returned to coach at PNG in 1999 (and possibly other years).

I was never lucky enough to meet him in person like you did with Bergeron. But I always wore his number 44 in the sports I played later in life.

 

[Indian99]

I had the honor of being coached by Coach Wallace in 98 and 99 - great coach and even better person. I don’t have anything but positive memories about him during those years.

 

[pngfanatic]

I had the honor of being coached by Coach Wallace in 98 and 99 - great coach and even better person. I don’t have anything but positive memories about him during those years.

Thanks for sharing. It's good to know that my childhood hero turned out to be one in real life too. You must have been an outside linebacker. I still have the game program from the 1999 state finals game with Stephenville. He's in the picture with the OLBs.

 

[pngfanatic]

 

[PNGFan01]

Nice memory. I don't think there are any bigger sports heroes than the ones you have as a kid. For me it's always been Charlie Wallace. I was a 10 year old when he led the Indians to their first 11-4A district championship in 1961. I'll never forget him throwing a 4yd halfback pass to R.H. Wallace (no relation) with no time remaining to defeat Orange 14-12 in the last game of the season. Wallace made many clutch plays like that in football, basketball and baseball. He was honorable mention all-state running back as a junior in 1961. He returned to coach at PNG in 1999 (and possibly other years).

I was never lucky enough to meet him in person like you did with Bergeron. But I always wore his number 44 in the sports I played later in life.

Charlie's son David is a current coach for PNG. I had the pleasure of knowing them both. Great people. I heard Charlie was incredible athlete. Would have loved to have seen it myself.

 

[PatsCowboy]

For those not old enough to know, Jackie was PNG's greatest athlete ever. At 14 he started at SS on an industrial league semi-pro baseball team of adults. He went to Texas, West Texas State, and I believe finished at SFA. Started everywhere he went at QB.

Coach Bill Ellington was the HC at Garland when they lost to PNG in 1955 on what Coach Ellington and other old timers consider the greatest run in Texas HS history. According to Coach Ellington (then Texas AD), Garland hit Gordon 13 times over 60+ yards on the last play of the game, which started with one second left in the game. Garland featured Bobby Boyd, who played at OU and with the Colts for about ten years. Gordon wore #37 because his hero was Doak Walker. I always heard growing up that he wanted to go to SMU, but they wouldn't let him wear #37.

Those two get my vote for best QB and best RB ever at PNG, although I heard stories but never saw Sippie Wilbanks. The legends about him & Tex Ritter used to swarm MidCounty. I was led to believe that Sip was the fastest Indian until Earl Sheffield came along. I have never confirmed if Lyman Bernard went to PNG or not, but he was a flier in the 40s.

 

[IndianFan]

Flying Frenchmen - PN-G Indians Football

In the mid-1950s the Port Neches Indians featured what would become one of the most dynamic offensive backfields in Southeast Texas football history. Known as “The Flying Frenchmen”, running backs Gordon LeBoeuf and Bobby LaBorde led the Indians to three straight state final appearances from...

www.pngindians.com

 

[1989NDN]

GREAT STUFF from PatsCowboy! Tell us more. I'd love to read your stories about the 40s and 50s. I've heard about Coach Jackie Hawthorne, Gordon LeBoeuf, Bobby LaBorde, Coach Lew Ford, etc. PatsCowboy, what position did you play?

 

[Torino]

Nice memory. I don't think there are any bigger sports heroes than the ones you have as a kid. For me it's always been Charlie Wallace. I was a 10 year old when he led the Indians to their first 11-4A district championship in 1961. I'll never forget him throwing a 4yd halfback pass to R.H. Wallace (no relation) with no time remaining to defeat Orange 14-12 in the last game of the season. Wallace made many clutch plays like that in football, basketball and baseball. He was honorable mention all-state running back as a junior in 1961. He returned to coach at PNG in 1999 (and possibly other years).

I was never lucky enough to meet him in person like you did with Bergeron. But I always wore his number 44 in the sports I played later in life.

I worked with him. Good guy.

 

[PatsCowboy]

Torino,

Where did Charlie Wallace wind up going to college? He was running buddies with Cary Byrd & Ronnie Waldo. Any ideas where they went or what happened to them.

Having to play Galena Park in bi-district back then was brutal. Even after Kenny Wallace (??) went down to a knee injury, that Galena Park team was loaded.

 

[bark]

GREAT STUFF from PatsCowboy! Tell us more. I'd love to read your stories about the 40s and 50s. I've heard about Coach Jackie Hawthorne, Gordon LeBoeuf, Bobby LaBorde, Coach Lew Ford, etc. PatsCowboy, what position did you play?

Jackie Hawthorn was still there my 9th grade year

 

[bark]

For those not old enough to know, Jackie was PNG's greatest athlete ever. At 14 he started at SS on an industrial league semi-pro baseball team of adults. He went to Texas, West Texas State, and I believe finished at SFA. Started everywhere he went at QB.

Coach Bill Ellington was the HC at Garland when they lost to PNG in 1955 on what Coach Ellington and other old timers consider the greatest run in Texas HS history. According to Coach Ellington (then Texas AD), Garland hit Gordon 13 times over 60+ yards on the last play of the game, which started with one second left in the game. Garland featured Bobby Boyd, who played at OU and with the Colts for about ten years. Gordon wore #37 because his hero was Doak Walker. I always heard growing up that he wanted to go to SMU, but they wouldn't let him wear #37.

Those two get my vote for best QB and best RB ever at PNG, although I heard stories but never saw Sippie Wilbanks. The legends about him & Tex Ritter used to swarm MidCounty. I was led to believe that Sip was the fastest Indian until Earl Sheffield came along. I have never confirmed if Lyman Bernard went to PNG or not, but he was a flier in the 40s.

Lyman & Tommy Landry went to png and UT track guys that played football. I saw Betty at Cheddars at lunch today. Athletes- good friend who has passed, great secondary coach NFL and D1- Lance Vanzant. One of the best card players I’ve ever known.

 

[PNGFan01]

For those not old enough to know, Jackie was PNG's greatest athlete ever. At 14 he started at SS on an industrial league semi-pro baseball team of adults. He went to Texas, West Texas State, and I believe finished at SFA. Started everywhere he went at QB.

Coach Bill Ellington was the HC at Garland when they lost to PNG in 1955 on what Coach Ellington and other old timers consider the greatest run in Texas HS history. According to Coach Ellington (then Texas AD), Garland hit Gordon 13 times over 60+ yards on the last play of the game, which started with one second left in the game. Garland featured Bobby Boyd, who played at OU and with the Colts for about ten years. Gordon wore #37 because his hero was Doak Walker. I always heard growing up that he wanted to go to SMU, but they wouldn't let him wear #37.

Those two get my vote for best QB and best RB ever at PNG, although I heard stories but never saw Sippie Wilbanks. The legends about him & Tex Ritter used to swarm MidCounty. I was led to believe that Sip was the fastest Indian until Earl Sheffield came along. I have never confirmed if Lyman Bernard went to PNG or not, but he was a flier in the 40s.

Jackie Hathorn was a PE Coach at Groves Elementary 4th and 5th grade school on Cleveland back the late 70's. Is this the same Jackie?