Final drive sweet redemption for Alexander

[KFDM COOP]

Final drive sweet redemption for Alexander

By Cody Pastorella

The Port Arthur News

It was quite simple really for the Memorial Titans last Friday night. At 0-3 in District 21-5A going into their game with Channelview, the Titans knew they had to win in order to prolong hope for the fourth and final playoff spot.

The situation grew even more simplistic for Port Arthur as the minutes ticked away Friday. The Titans trailed 22-16 with 2:06 left in the game, leaving Memorial with no choice but to drive 72 yards in two minutes.

Head coach Ronnie Thompson said, looking back, that the circumstances probably looked impossible.

For a team that has averaged around 205 yards before that matchup with the Falcons, 72 yards in 120 seconds probably felt like a marathon for the least fit person.

Quarterback Jareal Alexander had already thrown three picks in the contest, making the probability of a comeback seem even less likely. On top of everything, it was Channelview's homecoming night and the Falcons had just scored on a fourth-and-25 to take a 20-16 lead.. Then the Falcons added a two-point conversion to up the advantage to 22-16, as well as stealing all the momentum.

So you're telling me there's a chance?

It was no problem, actually.

The Titans needed 10 plays to score and drained 1:50 off the clock while doing it.

Alexander was huge on the drive. Running, passing, the senior, who has battled injury, the turnover bug, the lack of time to prepare for this season, it all finally came to rest on Friday night as he came through in a very big way for his team.

With 16 seconds left,, Alexander fired a 10-yard pass to Solomon Jones for the tying score. Then Hulices Nunez drove the extra-point home for the 23-22 victory. It was redemption for Nunez as well because the right-footed kicker missed what almost proved to be a decisive extra point during the first half.

Nunez also chipped in a 25-yard field goal to give Memorial's a 16-14 lead a little over six minutes left in the game.

About Alexander's heroics, which included a pair of momunmental pass plays and possibly an even bigger run, the third-year chief of the Titans said his quarterback was a "real field general out there."

"He (Jareal) started the season on an uphill climb (recovering from a broken thumb)," Thompson said. "That's certainly not easy. So he had that to deal with. He was not able to work out much with the team in the preseason, so he had to play catch up from the very beginning because of his thumb.

"Then we got hit by those hurricanes, which caused even more disruption."

Thompson went on to say that Friday's game winning drive was just the thing his team needed.

"It was medicine this team sorely needed. That drive made all the difference in the world for this season. It has been a rocky year but if we don't get that win, who knows. That drive gave this team hope, self respect. What looked to be impossible was accomplished and now we move forward to the next game."

This was not the first time Alexander sparked the team for a come-from-behind victory. Last year, with all the same tension building for the possibilities of a postseason, Alexander drove the Titans down the field in the wanning minutes of a 44-42 win over Baytown Sterling.

In that game, Alexander rushed for 199 yards, the most by any player in 2007.

"Jareal really showed up. He was a real mechanic on that drive, managing the field, thinking ahead, making the right decisions," Thompson said. "That's the guy we've been expecting all season. That's the guy who we were excited about at the end of last year and during our spring workouts. That's him. He's had a lot to overcome but for that drive, he showed up and it could not have come at a better time."

Despite his three picks, Alexander went 19-of-35 for 200 yards and threw two touchdowns. He also carried the ball 15 times for 75 yards and another score.

The offense tallied 330 yards, the most since the start of league play. Alexander accounted for 275 of those yards.

"That was what we absolutely needed," Thompson said. "We got the win and it was a must win. Now here we are. We have the last game of the season at home, it’s our homecoming and we have a chance to make the playoffs."

Titan Tidbits: Memorial will meet Baytown Lee Friday at 7 p.m.. The winner of that game will move on to the Class 5A playoffs. Lee beat Memorial last season 29-23. It was a win that got away from the Titans, a win that would have pushed them into the postseason in 2007... Against the Falcons, Solmon Jones hauled in 12 passes for 127 yards, including his final grab of the night which went for the game-winner for 10 yards. Running back Chance Filer got in the receiving action as well on Friday. He had five receptions out of backfield for 65 yards... Daleon Sinette also contributed to the offensive breakout. He ran for 51 yards on 11 carries. The Titans are 2-5 overall and 1-3 in District 21-5A with the win over Channelview.