By ROY LANG III, Journal Sports
With the game on the line, it’s hardly a matter of if Parkway head coach Coy Brotherton would let Aeron Burrell try a field goal of 50 yards or more, but when.
Last week, with the Brotherton Bowl and the District 1-5A opener at stake, Coy Brotherton sent his kicker onto the field in the waning seconds of a tie game against Haughton (coached by his brother, Jason Brotherton). Burrell nailed the 50-yard attempt, with plenty of distance to spare, to lift his Panthers to victory.
“Aeron is a huge weapon for us,” Coy Brotherton said. “Before the drive started he said he could get a 65-yarder there. I told (offensive coordinator, Matthew) Sewell before the drive started, ‘If we get to the 45-yard line, we will attempt it.’
“I’ve seen him make it from 65 in practice, with no pads or rush. I’d love to get him the opportunity to attempt one that long this year.”
Friday was Burrell’s second field goal of 50-plus this season – he set the Bossier Parish record with a 52-yarder at Red River in Week 2.
The other Shreveport-Bossier Journal 5-Star Performers of the Week in local high school football:
Lake Lambert, Byrd
Lambert helped the Yellow Jackets beat rival Captain Shreve again. In his final appearance in the rivalry (at least in the regular season), Lambert proved he, and his offense, are multi-dimensional.
The quarterback piled up 142 yards on 24 carries and added a 44-yard touchdown strike to Jackson Dufrene to help move Byrd to 4-0.
“(Byrd-Shreve) is an awesome atmosphere,” Lambert told the Journal. “I’m going to miss it a lot.”
Ben Taylor, Airline
It’s impossible to choose between Taylor and teammate Daxton Chavez, but we featured Chavez in Sunday’s edition, so it’s Taylor’s turn. The Vikings quarterback posted a school record of 412 passing yards and was responsible for eight touchdowns (seven passing, one rushing) during one of the most eye-opening games in the state in Week 4.
Omarion Miller, North Caddo
Teams that lose don’t have individuals appear on this list often, but Titans’ do-it-all Omarion Miller is a must. The 6-foot-2, 196-pound senior had seven catches for 243 yards and three touchdowns against Neville. One was made on his back between two defenders, who had yanked him down in the end zone before the ball arrived.
Oh, and he added a 98-yard kickoff return for another score against the Class 4A powerhouse Tigers.
Rowan Guthikonda, Loyola
Blocked field goals can often get buried in the box score. However, when your team emerges with a 9-7 victory, it was oh-so-crucial. Guthikonda’s Flyers topped Red River by a pair of points, thanks in part to his blocked kick in the first quarter.
The junior cornerback also had a pass break-up and 10 tackles as Loyola gave up only one touchdown on the road to an explosive Bulldogs’ offense.
Contact Roy at roylangiii@yahoo.com