By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
Friday’s confrontation between visiting Huntington and Parkway shaped up as “big boy” football, an anachronism in the full-throttle District 1-5A offensive showcase, a league featuring prolific passing games along with Byrd’s productive triple option running attack.
The idea of a third-team quarterback, recruited from the student section 20 days ago, throwing a back-breaking, fourth-and-11 touchdown pass in THIS game? You’d be just as likely to say Vandy would beat ‘Bama.
But there was lacrosse standout Gavin Ferrington, in his totally unscripted third start as the Parkway passer, delivering a 25-yard dagger to Gary Burney six plays after halftime. It was the knockout punch that followed a second-quarter surge of 24 points in eight minutes, bringing the Panthers from a score down to a commanding lead in their surprising 49-22 ripping of the Raiders on Homecoming at Preston Crownover Stadium.
Nobody saw it coming. This was gonna be old-school slobber-knockin’ ball. Bet the under, no scoreboard spinning like a pinball counter.
“To lose like that, it’s emotionally shocking,” said veteran Huntington coach (and Parkway alum) Stephen Dennis, whose team endured the Panthers’ stunning run of 43 unanswered points after the Raiders carried a 14-6 lead into the second quarter.
Combining injuries at key positions, most prominently sidelining their top two quarterbacks, and disciplinary action benching several other starters, Parkway has spent this month on the struggle bus, somehow avoiding a collapse, losing only to undefeated Airline last week.
But after Carmaro Mayo sizzled on a 31-yard shovel pass TD and a 45-yard crossfield dash to tie things at 14, Panthers’ power back CJ Dudley bulled his way to four short touchdowns among his 25 carries, linebacker Brady Prine’s two interceptions (one at his own goalline, the other carried back just shy of the Raiders’), and that perfect Ferrington strike to Burney, Parkway was 6-1 overall and 4-1 in district, and Huntington (4-3, 4-2) was in shock after its second straight league loss.
Panthers’ coach Coy Brotherton was bursting with pride.
“It’s been tough around here the last few weeks, and to see them come out and play with a lot of energy, a lot of physicalness, I’m proud of each and every one of them for what they’ve done,” he said. “Tonight was very rewarding for them and us.”
Down by eight after 12 minutes, the Panthers scored the next three times they had the ball and raced ahead 30-14 over the next eight minutes.
Then 2:45 into the second half, Parkway landed the finishing touch when Ferrington fired away.
“A touchdown pass on fourth-and-11 to put them up three scores? That was a chance to swing momentum and we missed it,” said Dennis. “They didn’t.”
Said Parkway offensive guard Ethan Plunkett: “That first drive after halftime, when we scored, we knew we pretty much had ‘em then.”
Who saw this coming?
“I really thought it would be lower scoring,” said Brotherton, who knew where the tide turned, with Plunkett and pals.
“Up front. The O-line played great tonight,” said the Panthers’ coach. “We told the guys Monday, this is the most physical team we’ll play all year, and up front, we got after them.”
Instead of sweating out the final minutes, Ferrington reverted to form. He reconnected with the student section, because he could.
Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com
PARKWAY 49, HUNTINGTON 22
Raiders 8 6 0 8 – 22
Panthers 6 24 13 6 – 49
H – Jamarion Washington 8 pass from Landon Gibbs (Nyles Hullaby run), 7:08 1st, Huntington 8-0
P – Carmaro Mayo 31 pass from Gavin Ferrington (pass failed), 2:38 1st, Huntington 8-6
H – Washington 46 pass from Gibbs (run failed), 11:52 2nd, Huntington 14-6
P – Mayo 45 run (Ferrington run), 11:01 2nd, tied 14-14
P – CJ Dudley 3 run (Dudley run), 10:08 2nd, Parkway 22-14
P – Dudley 2 run (Ferrington from Dudley), 3:37 2nd, Parkway 30-14
P – Gary Burney 25 pass from Ferrington (Shawn Jackson kick), 9:15 3rd, Parkway 37-14
P – Dudley 4 run (kick failed), 0:20 3rd, Parkway 43-14
P – Dudley 2 run (run failed), 11:47 4th, Parkway 49-14
H – Hullaby 9 run (Xavier Brown run), 1:15 4th, Parkway 49-22
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING – Huntington, Hullaby 15-85, 1 TD; Brown 4-49; Washington 1-3; Gibbs 5-8. Parkway, Mayo 8-89, 1 TD; Dudley 25-67, 4 TDs; Josh Tell 1-64; Chase Crowder 6-54; Ferrington 1-1; Team 1-minus-33.
PASSING – Huntington, Gibbs 13-25-2-195, 1 TD; Joemiah Robinson 0-1-0. Parkway, Ferrington 6-12-1-122, 1 TD; Dallas Loche 1-1-0-46.
RECEIVING – Huntington, Washington 8-125, 2 TDs; Tyler Welch 2-49; Hullaby 1-15; Brown 1-5; Jimmy Anderson 1-1. Parkway, Mayo 3-84, 1 TD; Dudley 1-5; Burney 2-71; Crowder 1-5.
Statistics, summary compiled by Lee Hiller.