By JOHN JAMES MARSHALL, Journal Sports
There were 134 plays run in Friday’s Minden-Loyola game at Messmer Stadium, so picking out one just one might seem to be a little silly.
Watching the Flyers’ 71-48 District 1-4A win was a whirlwind of trying to keep up with touchdowns being scored (16), records being set (no shortage), kickoffs (20), first down chains being moved (55 times) and the certainty of both teams scoring once they reached the red zone (a combined 11 for 11).
Not to mention a stretch in the second quarter in which four touchdowns were scored in a total of 10 plays.
So it is perfectly understandable that in the sea of all that activity, it would be hard to pinpoint one play that might set itself apart. Maybe it made a difference in the game and then again, maybe it didn’t.
But it did illustrate what this game was about.
In the third quarter, as Loyola got the kickoff after trailing 34-31 at halftime, the Flyers were faced with a fourth-and-12 at the Minden 22.
Loyola coach John Sella knew that this had become a who-blinks-first type of game and any empty possession might make for a hill to high to climb. But he didn’t even blink.
No field goal. No attempt to draw the Crimson Tide offsides and make the down more manageable.
“Tonight there was a little more pressure to score every time because it didn’t look like we were slowing them down,” Sella said. “A field goal wasn’t going to win it.”
Quarterback Brock Restovich took the snap, and quickly saw Ty Walsworth wide open over the middle for a 38-34 lead.
The message was clear: The Flyers were going for it no matter what.
Of course, Minden followed by scoring a touchdown.
Of course, Loyola followed that by scoring another touchdown.
And then came another fourth-down play that Minden will point to. Working from the Loyola 37, sophomore quarterback Jaden Johnson needed to get eight yards on a scramble around right end to keep the Crimson Tide drive alive.
He thought he did. The side judge thought he didn’t.
Loyola ball.
And as you might have expected, the Flyers responded with two Restovich touchdown passes sandwiched around a Thomas Gosslee interception.
By that point in the game, Restovich was not only burying the Crimson Tide’s chances, he was also burying the previous leaders in the Flyer record book.
Sit back and try to absorb what the junior did on a night like no other in Loyola history in which he threw for 513 yards (he broke the record of 382 before the fourth quarter even started), completing 28 passes for seven touchdowns (both school records).
The whole record book demolition was basically news to Restovich after the game. “Did I really?” he said when told of the yardage total. “I don’t know what to say. That’s awesome.”
“Bryce was on fire,” Sella said. “He was putting balls out there that were pretty impressive, so I had a lot of confidence. We were seeing a lot of the same things and he was in a great rhythm.”
How about this? Restovich had more TD passes (7) than incompletions (5).
In its history, Loyola only had six receivers with more than 150 yards receiving in a game. In this game, they had two (Jack Black, 176 on 10 catches, and Charlie McKenzie (170 on eight). Both had three touchdown receptions.
Almost lost in the numerology was running back Mason Drake, who ran for 142 yards and two touchdowns, the fourth time in five games he has had multiple rushing touchdowns.
Minden is one of Loyola’s oldest rivals – the two first played in 1920 – and though they haven’t played every year, the Crimson Tide has dominated the series, winning the last eight straight and 12 of the last 13.
When the Flyers last defeated the Tide (1983), Sella wasn’t even born.
“I’ve been here 10 years and there’s been some really good teams, but there have been times when things didn’t go our way and we would just kind of fold or not punch back,” Sella said. “But we kept punching back (tonight) and I loved the way we responded. The confidence we have in the offense is pretty impressive.”
With two 1-4A wins, Loyola is 5-0 for the first time since 2016 when the Flyers started 9-0. Next up is a Thursday night visit to Bossier (3-2, 1-1).
Contact JJ at johnjamsmarshall@yahoo.com