PORT NECHES, Texas — In freezing temperatures, a Southeast Texas man busted out shorts and a purple T-shirt to support an area high school football team ahead of a Friday night game.
After beating Liberty Hill 42-14 and earning a trip to state, the Port Neches-Groves Indians are preparing for a game sports fans believe could become a record-breaking all-time classic.
The Indians will face defending State Champion South Oak Cliff in the 5A-Division II State Championship Friday, December 16, 2022, at 7 p.m. The game will take place in Arlington's AT&T Stadium.
The Southeast Texas team is playing in a state title game for the first time since 1999. South Oak Cliff is the defending state champion from 2021.
Zeke Mills wished his hometown team good luck ahead of Friday night's game in a Facebook post. He said he is sending his support to the Indians from, "here at the bottom of the world."
"Wish I could be there in Dallas with my family and all the other the crazies from Port Neches and Groves cheering on the purple and white," Mills said.
Related: Port Neches-Groves Indians getting support from the South Pole ahead of Friday night's game
Mills showed his support last week when the Indians were in Katy taking on the Liberty Hills Panthers. He was wearing warm clothes in the cold temperatures but this time is different.
"I figured I'd break out the shorts and T-shirt today, since it's what I would be wearing if I was back in Texas going to the game," Zeke Mills said in the Facebook Post. "It's a relatively warm day here at South Pole, with the temperature sitting around -20 with a Windchill of -42."
During the game, the internet at the South Pole will be down. However, Mills said he will call his sister periodically for game updates on the satellite phone connection.
"Also excited to see if we will be able to reclaim the National Attendance Record for a high school football game," Mills said.