By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
Airline took off just in time Friday night, right as the Vikings’ defense grounded Parkway.
That was a winning combination in a battle of teams with one loss entering Week 9. At the Panthers’ Preston Crownover Stadium, Airline soared back for a 33-16 District 1-5A triumph by combining its signature scoring prowess with a shutdown defensive effort after halftime.
Seeing Airline (8-1, 5-1) score on four straight series? Nothing new. The Vikes have gone on runs with their dual threat offense for nearly the entire two years Justin Scogin has been their head coach.
They did again Friday, erupting with a 96-yard drive – jump-started by a pivotal third-down defensive holding penalty – followed by Dante Lacour’s onside kick recovery that led to a second TD in a 1:28-long span. After Ben Taylor fired a strike down the Airline sideline for a 33-yard touchdown to Bryson Broom, Taylor found Tre’ Jackson streaking the other way on the first play of the fourth period and dropped in a perfectly-thrown 24-yard TD.
Just like that, the visitors climbed out of a 16-7 hole into a 19-16 lead.
Meanwhile, the Vikings’ defense dominated. Parkway (7-2, 5-2) not only didn’t make a first down after halftime — the Panthers managed just 15 yards on five possessions.
Riding an energy surge, Airline went against type and staged a 12-play, 80-yard, 3:58-long march finished with another Taylor-Broom collaboration, this a 27-yarder on a fade route into the right corner of the end zone. It was 26-16 with 6:14 remaining and the Panthers were staggered.
The coup de gras was Jackson’s 32-yard bolt up the middle, shaking off two defenders along the way, to make it 33-16 with 2:24 left.
“We were down. We had bad spirit in the first half. We knew we had to come back,” he said. “We’ve got the mindset now it’s not over until 48 minutes are over.”
Taylor, who collected 201 of his 323 passing yards after halftime, credited the other side of the ball.
“We weren’t really on fire in the first half, but the defense was (for) the whole game,” said the junior, who leads the state in passing yards. “The defense shut them down in the second half and the offense started clicking.”
He agreed the offensive recovery was no small feat.
“Parkway, besides us, of course, has the best DB’s in the district. They have a great defense, just some great players,” said Taylor. “Our receivers were able to get open and I did my job by getting the ball to the playmakers.”
“(Parkway) is a really good football team, one of the best in northwest Louisiana,” said Scogin, who snagged a W in his first return to Parkway as a head coach. He honed his offensive approach on David Feaster’s Panthers’ staff several years ago, and fondly recalled those days postgame as he praised his staff.
“We had to make some adjustments to get the matchups we liked. I can’t speak enough about the assistant coaches tonight. Our coaching staff, minus me, won this game tonight,” he said, smiling broadly. “This was one of the best assistant coaching jobs I’ve ever been a part of.”
But he didn’t overlook his players – not so much for what they did, but for their approach after a first half in which the Panthers almost completely silenced the Vikings’ attack.
“The main thing, when we started making adjustments (at halftime), there was zero panic. A year back, it would have been mass chaos. Everybody would have been freaking out,” said Scogin.
It ignited in the most unlikely way. Parkway’s Aeron Burrell had punted Airline dead at its own 4 late in the third period, with the Panthers up by nine. A third down pass sailed incomplete, but a penalty flag fluttered down around the intended target.
Parkway coach Coy Brotherton recapped the pivotal moments.
“They’re third-and-10, (and that incompletion) would’ve made it fourth-and-10. They’re punting out of their end zone, we’re up two possessions with two minutes to go in the third quarter. You gotta think that if we got the ball back on a short field, and you could punch one in, you’re up three scores in the fourth quarter,” he said.
“It was definitely a big play against us, for them. Agree with it or not, it happened. Then back-to-back with the onside kick (recovery, leading to another Airline TD), it was a big 14-point swing for them.”
The Panthers suffered a much bigger loss Friday. Ethan Hawkins, the anchor of Parkway’s offensive line at guard, lost his older brother Payton, a former Panther, in an overnight automobile accident, and did not play.
Brotherton was emotional discussing it, and how his young team – six sophomores starting on offense — composed themselves and competed.
“It was a tough day for us. I told the kids, I know we didn’t win, but we got better as a team by the way we bonded, how we were there for our teammate,” he said. “We’re going to be fine as a football team.”
Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com
AIRLINE 33, PARKWAY 16
Airline 7 0 6 20 – 33
Parkway 9 7 0 0 – 16
P – Antonio Gladney 73 run (kick failed)
A – Brandon Cooper 66 run (Preston Doerner kick)
P – Aeron Burrell 32 field goal
P – Draidyn Davis 2 run (Burrell kick)
A – Bryson Broom 33 pass from Ben Taylor (kick failed)
A – Tre’ Jackson 33 pass from Taylor (kick blocked)
A – Broom 27 pass from Taylor (Doerner kick)
A – Jackson 32 run (Doerner kick)
RUSHING: AHS (21-139, 1 TD) Cooper 13-116, 1 TD; Jackson 6-33, 1 TD; PHS (31-144) Gladney 25-144, 1 TD; Draidyn Davis 2-4, 1 TD; Kaleb Williams 4-minus 4
PASSING: AHS, Taylor 31-47-1, 323, 3 TDs; PHS, Williams 0-6-1
RECEIVING: AHS Bob Patterson 11-107, Jackson 9-81, 1 TD; Broom 6-107, 2 TD, Jarvis Davis Jr. 2-9.