By TOM HALLIBURTON
Port Arthur News Sports Writer
PORT NECHES — Adam LeDoux sees Saturday night’s Port Neches-Groves visit to Thomas Jefferson as the turning point in the Indians’ season.
For the outside linebacker position known as the ‘Brave’ in PN-G’s defense, LeDoux already reached a personal turning point of sorts last week.
Calling himself 5-10, 165 — and that may be a stretch — the 17-year-old son of Joey and Lisa LeDoux produced probably the finest game of his career against the worst odds.
When West Orange-Stark runs its famous student body sweep with 225- and 230-pound backs and 260-pound linemen in front of them, an Adam LeDoux certainly gets to find out more than enough about his toughness.
If WO-S expected to find LeDoux as easy pickings, the Mustangs’ offense received a rude awakening. LeDoux had 10 first contacts, four assists, one interception and two sacks.
LeDoux had no reason to hang his head after the 7-0 loss to WO-S even though the Mustangs’ passed in his direction on the game’s lone touchdown. LeDoux sustained a slight shoulder bruise on the play after WO-S receiver Jermaine Hope escaped him. The fiesty Indians’ linebacker still played a sensational game.
“I think it was my best game,” LeDoux said. “I got a lot more tackles. We were doing a lot of stunts. It was pure adrenalin. We put a lot of emotion into it.
“I’m always pretty much outmatched in size. The matchup against Paul Thomas was something because he was about three times my size. All you could do was to take out his legs.”
Thomas also had the edge on LeDoux by about three times in varsity experience. That’s because LeDoux never saw a lick of varsity participation before his November promotion in last season’s playoff run.
LeDoux did not open the season as a starter either. The coaches leaned toward Jeff LeBlanc and Brady Flores as PN-G’s outside linebackers.
When Flores moved to offense as early-season injuries mounted, LeDoux stepped in. PN-G head coach Matt Burnett is not totally surprised because it historically has happened almost year after year. An under-sized outside backer always seems to enter PN-G’s defense and explode onto the scene.
“Adam really typifies the reason for the Indians’ strong tradition,” Burnett said. “Adam fits the mode nearly every year of how a little, tenacious Indian rises up and takes a job. We’ve had several like that. We had Jared Hanks last year. We had Ty Cropper.
“The most important thing is he’s so persistent. He never lets up. We’ve had a long line of little guys who are just tougher than nails. Going into the season, I knew Adam was capable of doing it but he’s really exceeded expectations.”
Coming from Groves Middle School, little LeDoux likely has exceeded the expectations of everyone except his own.
“When I was little, (and some of us say that he still is), I looked up to all the bigger guys like Dustin Marsh,” LeDoux said. “Last year I was so happy to be moved up to the varsity for the playoffs. This year I’ve gotten to step up, play and make the most of it.
“I’m not really that surprised. I knew I could do it. The wait (to get to do it) was killing me. I went into this season with the idea that this was my year when I had to make an impression. That was the fuel to do well.”
LeDoux labeled PN-G’s defensive unit with anyone’s in District 20-4A, especially based on its outing against West Orange-Stark.
“I think we did spectacular on defense,” he said. “Our offense got the job done too. It was just too little and too late.
“I honestly think we’re the best defense in the district. Other teams are just going to try to expose our secondary.”
An outfielder on PN-G’s 2000 Class 4A state finalist baseball team, LeDoux would love to continue his baseball career in college if the opportunity could present itself.
Those thoughts are far from LeDoux’s focus for now. Fueling the Indians’ playoff return has become Adam’s urgent responsibility.
“Everybody talks about how we’re doing,” he said. “You hear it from everybody. It makes us want it more.”
Having lost to WO-S, the Indians (3-3 and 0-1) play at TJ (4-2 and 0-1) Saturday night in Memorial Stadium at 7:30 p.m. PN-G realizes the game constitutes an elimination game of sorts for each team’s playoff hopes.
“If we win here, it sets the tone for the rest of the season,” LeDoux said. “This could be the turning point. If we lose here, our morale could go down. If we win here, we could really get boosted up again.”
As for turning points, Adam already reached one against WO-S, passing it like a seasoned veteran.
INDIAN INKLINGS
Head coach Matt Burnett added and subtracted one senior in the past week. Tackle Michael Thibodeaux (lower back strain) has returned to the team. Thibodeaux (6-6, 302) will suit out at TJ but will not start….. Quarterback Cody Elkins no longer is with the team. Burnett said Elkins told him that he intended to concentrate on baseball. Projected as a potential starting QB, Elkins injured his ankle at the start of pre-season practice. Elkins was third team QB going into last week’s district opener. Burnett said Elkins preferred to spend more time working on trying to rehabilitate the ankle. “For him, he made a good decision,” Burnett said. “He’s a good kid. His ankle is still weak.”….. FB Nathan Perez did not suit vs. WO-S and was not expected to suit out at TJ because of a deep thigh bruise. OLB Adam LeDoux has a shoulder bruise but is probable for TJ …. Leading tacklers vs. WO-S were Cody Clark (11 first contacts and 4 assists), Adam LeDoux (10 and 4), Trayce Boudoin (7 and 12), Jeff LeBlanc (7 and 2), Justin Mercer (6 and 6) and Jared Gary (4 and 4).
