Spartans to Fight Their Biggest Battle as District Play Begins

Battle Line on 59 is this Friday, October 9th at Randall Reed Stadium. As the biggest game of the year, many players are anxious to get the ball moving. For the past 10 years, New Caney has defeated Porter, taking home the trophy. It’s time for a change.

This yearly rivalry game is a longstanding tradition, where both teams battle for the bragging rights of being the best NCISD has to offer. Last year, the Battle Line was chosen by ABC News as the game of the week. This ongoing feud is part of what makes the high school experience so much fun. Every year, Battle Line sells out; a testament to its importance in the community.

This year, things are a little different. Instead of landing in the first week of November, as in past seasons, Battle Line is now the first game of District play.

“It’s the first district game, our kids are excited for the opportunity to be 1-0 in district play,” Football Coach Newton said.

Last season, the Porter Spartans did the unexpected with their very first-ever playoff win against Hightower High School. Meanwhile, the Eagles lost in the first round. Currently, The Spartans are 2-0 in pre-season, beating Lake Creek and Montgomery, who were both ranked top teams in district 5A. The Montgomery Bears sit in 10th, with Lake Creek being an honorable mention.

As week two of Spartan football came to a close, Sophomore running back Joshua Evans-Pickens was nominated for The Courier’s Player of the Week. With 101 yards, twelve carries, and a touchdown, J. Evans-Pickens’ is having a promising start to his season.

“I’m blessed for the achievement, but I’m excited to see what the future holds for me,” Evans-Pickens said.

Meanwhile, senior running back, and UCF commit, C.J. Sanders was also a nominee for the award. This makes for an interesting face-off as both running backs go head to head Friday night.

“We’ve got a great group of kids this year that work extremely hard,” starting quarterback Jace Russell said. “When you have great teammates it makes the game a lot more fun. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for us.”

Doing the impossible is something our guys are very familiar with. So why should we expect anything else?

“As for Battle Line, a couple of months ago we didn’t know if we would be able to be where we are now,” Russell said. “However, we now have the opportunity to play in battleline so we are very excited. I consider it a huge blessing to play in this game especially for the seniors.”

Meanwhile, the New Caney Eagles are ranked number 9 according to VYPE magazine. The Eagles are currently ranked 1-1 as they took a tough loss against Marshall High School. Although, they blew Kingwood Park out the water.

The Porter Spartans have been working towards winning the trophy and bringing it home. Will the Spartans finally prevail?