The Tale Of Two Football Cities: Port Neches-Groves And Nederland

[AggiesAreWe]

4 minutes ago, pine curtain said:

that is like saying silsbee supplied the school and caneyhead supplied the athletes.... lol

Yep

[Coach85]

I’m a Grovite and have been all my life. I have watched and played Football, Baseball and ran Track while at PNG. I’m not saying that Port Neches hasn’t put out any star athlete’s. But the majority of the better athletes have come from Groves. When I talk about stars from Port Neches, I’m not talking about the kids whose parents grew up in Groves and moved to PN when they got married. I’m talking true blue born in PN and stayed in PN.

[pine curtain]

2 hours ago, Coach85 said:

I’m a Grovite and have been all my life. I have watched and played Football, Baseball and ran Track while at PNG. I’m not saying that Port Neches hasn’t put out any star athlete’s. But the majority of the better athletes have come from Groves. When I talk about stars from Port Neches, I’m not talking about the kids whose parents grew up in Groves and moved to PN when they got married. I’m talking true blue born in PN and stayed in PN.

There is a reason PN has a dash between then N and G. 

PN-G...... lol

I think Groves people hate PN more than NED hate them.

[Austin1985]

This could be a 3 part Netflix series......

[OneChance]

If you don’t have some of THE GROVES running through your blood, then you are soft! 🤣 Growing up in THE GROVES, I absolutely hated everyone from PN, I had no idea about Nederland, but playing for The Groves Browns, I wanted to destroy PN, in the 8th and 9th grade as a Brave at The Groves Middle School was absolutely no different, probably worse. I hated those softies over at PN, couldn’t believe I might have to be on the same team as them, this is 100% truth to my mind set back in the day.

[Aggie521]

12 hours ago, OneChance said:

If you don’t have some of THE GROVES running through your blood, then you are soft! 🤣 Growing up in THE GROVES, I absolutely hated everyone from PN, I had no idea about Nederland, but playing for The Groves Browns, I wanted to destroy PN, in the 8th and 9th grade as a Brave at The Groves Middle School was absolutely no different, probably worse. I hated those softies over at PN, couldn’t believe I might have to be on the same team as them, this is 100% truth to my mind set back in the day.

I also am a “Grovite” who basically took the same path as you - played on the Browns and all. It’s absolutely true that you grow up as a Groves kid with a chip on your shoulder wanting to beat the “rich” kids of PN at everything! My senior year our starters were pretty evenly split between the two cities, but most of the hard-nosed kids are always from Groves. 
 

For reference, I married a PN girl and now live in PN - so there’s that. 😆

[Reagan]

For those that actually feel Groves is what makes the difference, let me say this:  If it were Port Neches vs Nederland-Groves and NOTHING changes as for as administration decisions and head coaches, then I can say the 4 State Title appearances for PNG and and 0 for Nederland would not change.  Trust me -- it's deeper than just Groves!  Again, just my opinion.

[OneChance]

5 hours ago, Aggie521 said:

I also am a “Grovite” who basically took the same path as you - played on the Browns and all. It’s absolutely true that you grow up as a Groves kid with a chip on your shoulder wanting to beat the “rich” kids of PN at everything! My senior year our starters were pretty evenly split between the two cities, but most of the hard-nosed kids are always from Groves. 
 

For reference, I married a PN girl and now live in PN - so there’s that. 😆

I married a Groves girl and now I live in PN, lol!

[Bigdog]

My mom grew up in Groves, I have never heard it called "The Groves" but I will ask her.   Other than that, I don't know about the split of talent from Groves and PN.

[SmashMouth]

On 1/7/2023 at 9:26 AM, OneChance said:

You guys are driving me crazy, it’s not Groves, it’s THE GROVES! You going to have to take the PNG off your name and just be Bamatex if you don’t know about the legacy of THE GROVES! The Groves Browns Pop Warner program had some of the meanest and baddest boys around for years and years!

Relax...It's Groves.

[NHSBulldogFan]

4 hours ago, Bigdog said:

My mom grew up in Groves, I have never heard it called "The Groves" but I will ask her.   Other than that, I don't know about the split of talent from Groves and PN.

I've heard it called "The Groves" alot but only recently before last year it was just Groves 

[OneChance]

1 hour ago, NHSBulldogFan said:

I've heard it called "The Groves" alot but only recently before last year it was just Groves 

That’s because you’re from across the tracks! 

[Mr. Thornton Melon]

From tha' groves cher

[Knox34]

I'd bet the records between PNMS and GMS are heavily in favor of PN.  Nederland people are babies.  One or two bad years out of 20 and suddenly the coaches and school board has always sucked.  Yall should have gotten to state in 2000 and possibly 2001.  Matched up with good teams and got beat.  Could be much worse...look at us poor Cardinals. 

And...no chance PNG gets to state this year had they not done this bush league split of the divisions. 

[NHSBulldogFan]

5 hours ago, OneChance said:

That’s because you’re from across the tracks! 

And proud of it! But I've had many classmates and co-workers who live in Groves yet the first time I've ever heard it called "The Groves" was last year 

[Reagan]

4 hours ago, Charles in Charge said:

I'd bet the records between PNMS and GMS are heavily in favor of PN.  Nederland people are babies.  One or two bad years out of 20 and suddenly the coaches and school board has always sucked.  Yall should have gotten to state in 2000 and possibly 2001.  Matched up with good teams and got beat.  Could be much worse...look at us poor Cardinals. 

And...no chance PNG gets to state this year had they not done this bush league split of the divisions. 

Keep trying to find the right coach and things will change.  Again, look what a different coach did for PNG and Lumberton!   

You made reference to Nederland:  Nederland did have some success when they hired from the "outside".  But, I guess we couldn't stand some success and had to go back and hire a home-town boy.  Which, BTW, usually never works out!

As for as your last sentence, PNG did beat some pretty tough competition in the playoffs.  And they did hold their own in the first half against SOC in the Title game.  

[Knox34]

5 hours ago, Reagan said:

Keep trying to find the right coach and things will change.  Again, look what a different coach did for PNG and Lumberton!   

You made reference to Nederland:  Nederland did have some success when they hired from the "outside".  But, I guess we couldn't stand some success and had to go back and hire a home-town boy.  Which, BTW, usually never works out!

As for as your last sentence, PNG did beat some pretty tough competition in the playoffs.  And they did hold their own in the first half against SOC in the Title game.  

Lumberton and PNG hired good coaches, but I'd say the success is mostly because they both have really good groups of kids right now.  Players win games.  Parents blame coaches when the players aren't talented enough to win.  Nederland's good ole boy was a genius when he went for two to beat PNG and then the guy almost beats a state finalist team this year.  But he doesn't know what he's doing?  That's crap.  Barrow is a really good coach with a young group that wasn't especially talented in a tough district.  

[CardinalBacker]

It's been "the Groves" for as long as I can remember...  Nobody is gonna mention how PN people have always had a little "superiority" complex over the Groves people?  

[CS.]

On 1/7/2023 at 9:26 AM, OneChance said:

You guys are driving me crazy, it’s not Groves, it’s THE GROVES! You going to have to take the PNG off your name and just be Bamatex if you don’t know about the legacy of THE GROVES! The Groves Browns Pop Warner program had some of the meanest and baddest boys around for years and years!

So we should be PNTG!!!!!!

[SmashMouth]

12 hours ago, Reagan said:

Keep trying to find the right coach and things will change.  Again, look what a different coach did for PNG and Lumberton!   

With all due respect to Coach Reyes, the "change" you speak of is due to the kids more than anything...at least in Lumberton, anyway.

[Reagan]

6 minutes ago, SmashMouth said:

With all due respect to Coach Reyes, the "change" you speak of is due to the kids more than anything...at least in Lumberton, anyway.

So, with all due respect to you -- do you honestly think the kids just happened to show up when Reyes did?  And not before?  Seems kind of lucky for one coach and unlucky for other coaches, don't you think?!

And by the same token, I guess the kids stopped showing up at WOS when Cornel left!  

[Mr. Buddy Garrity]

5 hours ago, CardinalBacker said:

It's been "the Groves" for as long as I can remember...  Nobody is gonna mention how PN people have always had a little "superiority" complex over the Groves people?  

Lol. I wasn't going to say anything.......but um....... Yeah.  👀🥤

[OneChance]

3 hours ago, Indians93 said:

So we should be PNTG!!!!!!

Actually should be TGPN!!!!🤣

[SmashMouth]

2 hours ago, Reagan said:

So, with all due respect to you -- do you honestly think the kids just happened to show up when Reyes did?  And not before?  Seems kind of lucky for one coach and unlucky for other coaches, don't you think?!

And by the same token, I guess the kids stopped showing up at WOS when Cornel left!  

No disrespect taken, but as a matter of fact, yes I do. They didn’t just show up. They played at lower levels with winning records before Coach Reyes was there too. Don’t forget, when Babin was there, the Raiders went 2 rounds deep 2 years in a row. The year before he left, they had a lousy season with the same 2 year starting QB they had before. They just didn’t have enough tools in the toolbox. Nothing against Reyes, I think he’s doing a good job. Coaching is a huge part of the success in a program, but so are the players. 

[pine curtain]

This thread reminds me of the Colmesneil people arguing about if the S is silent or pronounced.