Port Neches–Groves High School

Port Neches-Groves High School
Address
1401 Merriman
Port Neches, Texas, 77651
United States
Information
Type Public
Established 1925
School district Port Neches-Groves ISD
Superintendent Dr. Rodney Cavness
Principal Dr. Marc Keith
Assistant principals Pat Briggs, Jon Deckert, & Alan Mitchell
Enrollment 1400+ (2012)
Color(s)           Purple & White
Athletics conference UIL Class AAAAA
Mascot Indian
Information 409.729.7644
Website PN-GHS Home Page

Port Neches-Groves High School (PNG) is located in Port Neches, Texas. The high school is the only high school in the Port Neches-Groves Independent School District and serves portions of Port Neches, Groves, and Port Arthur. Built in 1925, the high school was considered to be the first modern school building erected in Jefferson County.[1]

History

Much of this area is in a Mexican Land Grant of 4,428 acres (18 km2) that was acquired by Thomas F. McKinney in April 1831, the first land grant in Jefferson County. Joseph Grigsby received a land grant on November 6, 1834, that included much of the city of Groves.

Port Neches–Groves High School has traditionally been recognized as a strong academic school.

Other Indian traditions and controversy

The choice of "Indians" as the PN–G school nickname in 1925 was probably influenced by the area's rich local history. Port Neches was once the home of the only Native American village in Jefferson County, Texas. As early as 500 AD, Nacazil, Attakapas, Karankawa and other Native American tribes made their homes on a high bluff overlooking the Neches River that later became the city of Port Neches. In 1980, amid controversy over the use of the team name, Port Neches–Groves High School was presented with the official seal of the Cherokee Nation.[2] Controversy still remains due to the offensive nature of the term "Indian." The National Congress of Indians wrote about the term, "“Indian” that "sports brands used by professional teams were born in an era when racism and bigotry were accepted by the dominant culture. These brands which have grown to become multi-million dollar franchises were established at a time when the practice of using racial epithets and slurs as marketing slogans were a common practice among white owners seeking to capitalize on cultural superiority and racial tensions."[3]

Athletics

1975 - Football team ranked #3 in the US when they won the 4A state championship at Texas Stadium. (4A was the largest classification at that time.)

State finalists

Since 1925, the Indians of Port Neches and Groves have had a strong presence on the Texas high school football scene. In the 84 years of PN-G football, the Indians have compiled a 528-312-33 record*, won 23 district championships, 13 regional championships, appeared in 6 state championship games and won 3 state championships. Only 60 schools have achieved 500 wins in Texas high school football history, and PN-G is one of them. PN-G is one of Texas richest Football Traditions in Class 4A.

Rivalry with Nederland

By winning 15 consecutive games—1969 through 1983—the Indians have established a firm lead in winning percentage (57% to Nederland's 43%) in the Mid-County series. Counting a couple of ties before that 15-game win streak, the Indians actually went 19 straight years without being defeated by the Bulldogs. While Nederland has struggled to produce a streak anywhere close in longevity to the stretch of Port Neches-Groves during the 1970s & 80s, the Bulldogs have had the upper hand in the past two decades, having won 16 of the past 22 years. Nederland had a four-game winning streak including the Bulldogs' memorable 1957 state AAA championship year under head coach Emmett McKenzie. On October 18, 2013 during the game, news has spread about the death of Bum Phillips, which was heartbreaking for both PN-G and Nederland districts. So in honor of him, they renamed the game the "Bum Phillips Bowl" and also had a trophy in honor of him which is currently place in Nederland High school. Currently, Nederland has an active streak of 5 straight wins beginning in 2010 after winning the 90th meeting in 2014. As of the game during the 2014 regular season, PN-G has won 48 rounds of "Mid-County Madness," as some call it, as compared to Nederland's 36 victories with 7 ties.[10]

Notable alumni

See also

References

  1. ↑ "A HISTORY OF THE PORT NECHES INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on December 2, 2006. Retrieved 2007-09-12.
  2. ↑ http://pngindianspirit.com/?page_id=66
  3. ↑ http://www.ncai.org/attachments/PolicyPaper_mijApMoUWDbjqFtjAYzQWlqLdrwZvsYfakBwTHpMATcOroYolpN_NCAI_Harmful_Mascots_Report_Ending_the_Legacy_of_Racism_10_2013.pdf
  4. ↑ UIL Football Archives
  5. ↑ UIL Volleyball Archives
  6. ↑ UIL Baseball Archives
  7. ↑ UIL Football Archives
  8. ↑ UIL Softball Archives
  9. ↑ UIL Volleyball Archives
  10. ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vL7PQ7pD0g

External links

Coordinates: 29°59′24″N 93°57′14″W / 29.989999°N 93.953947°W / 29.989999; -93.953947

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