JOURNAL STAFF
This year, there was no nerve-wracking finish. And Aaron Burrell’s field goal was a mundane 27-yarder, not a game-winning 50-yard bomb in the final seconds.
Playing at its Preston Crownover Stadium, Parkway opened a four-score halftime lead and cruised to a 24-6 victory in the fourth annual “Brotherton Bowl” District 1-5A battle with Haughton Friday night. The contest pits brothers Coy (Parkway) and Jason (Haughton) against each other as head coaches.
“We played pretty good, offensively and defensively,” said Parkway’s Coy Brotherton. “They were handicapped without (injured starting QB Christian) Turner, but our defensive line got after them.”
So did senior defensive back Ashtin Jackson. He doubled his career interception total with a 50-yard first-half pick six return TD, and added another interception in the fourth quarter as the Parkway defense pitched a shutout.
The Panthers pounded away on a game-opening 15-snap scoring drive to go up 7-0 on C.J. Dudley’s 2-yarder. Five plays later, Jackson’s surprise swipe doubled the lead, which expanded to 21-0 when Parkway mounted another 15-play drive on its second series, with Kaleb Williams scoring from 4 yards out.
Parkway rolled (4-0, 1-0) to a 24-0 halftime advantage, capped by Burrell’s field goal at the horn.
“We knew it was going to be hard to score, hard to sustain drives,” said Haughton’s Jason Brotherton. “But we moved the ball OK. We just couldn’t score. The pick six put us in a hole, and then we were just chasing points, which is tough against a really good defense.”
Haughton’s only tally came when Austin Walton scooped and scored on a 92-yard fumble return TD.
“We played like a physical football team tonight,” said the Parkway coach. “I challenged the kids this week that since we were beginning district, we’d be playing 5A teams week after week and we’d have to be tough, flying around the football defensively, and we’d have to make some physical blocks offensively, have our receivers be a presence in the run game. They responded tonight.”
The brothers do understand the unique pleasure, and pain, of their annual on-field competition.
“It’s pretty special. It’s cool. But I hate playing against him because one of us has to lose,” said younger brother Coy. “I probably like playing earlier than later in the year, but since it’s the first district game one of us starts well and one doesn’t. Once the game starts, you forget he’s over there and coach your team. We shake hands after and tomorrow we’ll get to talking like we normally do.”
The Panthers are unbeaten through Week 4, but there’s not too much swagger in the Parkway camp.
“I’m pleased and cautious at the same time,” said Coy Brotherton. “Last year we were lucky enough to win the first six, but didn’t finish like we wanted to. Our talk all season has been to make sure we’re clicking at the right time, improving every week, and we feel like we have. We are headed in the right direction, but with sophomores at quarterback and running back there’s a lot of upside.”
The District 1-5A season for Parkway continues against Captain Shreve next week. Haughton will try to rebound against Southwood.
NATCHITOCHES CENTRAL 41, SOUTHWOOD 12: In Natchitoches at Turpin Stadium, the Chiefs raced to a 28-0 halftime lead in a District 1-5A game plagued by 29 penalties for a combined 227 yards – each team had touchdowns wiped out by flags.
Calvary Baptist transfer Owen Smith threw four TD passes, starting with strikes of 16 yards to Dillon Braxton and 13 yards to Cam Davis that got NCHS (2-2, 1-0) up 14-0.
The Cowboys closed to 14-6 in the second quarter on a Michael Morgan Jr. 11-yard toss to Detanion Arkansas, but the Chiefs pulled away. A 25-yard flea flicker pass from Smith to Davis was a highlight. Tailback Zion Thompson later tallied on a 46-yard run and added another TD on an 11-yard scamper.
Davis caught his third scoring strike from Smith, a 27-yarder, with eight minutes remaining. Smith finished with 221 yards passing on 16 of 19 aim, with David accounting for 144 of those yards on eight snags.
Three touchdowns were erased by penalties on Southwood (0-4, 0-1), which got a 7-yard DeTravion Williams TD run a minute before the game ended.
The Chiefs host Airline next Friday. Southwood gets Haughton as 1-5A competition continues.