Handshakes, pro or con?
That is not THE question, but it became a hot topic among local high school football fans in the wake of the break from postgame protocol at the end of Parkway’s 48-43 win – with NINE lead changes — over crosstown rival Airline last Thursday.
It was the first time Parkway’s senior class had bested Airline on the football field, the Panthers’ first victory in five years of their SoBo vs. NoBo collisions.
Through 48 intense minutes, the game’s temperature was hot, bordering on boiling. Maintaining control, the officiating crew threw plenty of flags penalizing both teams for personal fouls and unsportsmanlike conduct. They might even have missed a few.
“It’s what you expect when Airline and Parkway play,” explained Panthers’ quarterback Kaleb Williams after his team’s 48-43 triumph.
But what you didn’t expect was for Parkway to pass on the postgame exchange of shakes.
The routine is more structured on the high school level, at least in these parts, than in college or the pros. Coaches and players line up at midfield coming from their sidelines, and march across, grinning (or grimacing) and gripping, or fist-bumping the other guys.
Not this time. The Panthers instead raced to their own end zone party with their people.
Eyebrows were raised. The Parkway coaches did, after directing their players to the end zone, take part in the handshake line. There is much mutual respect and friendship among the coaching staffs.
But in that moment, veteran Parkway coach Coy Brotherton said the best course of action was to avoid any chance of postgame confrontations.
“We’ve had some issues this year shaking hands. Nothing against those guys. It was a clean, fun game,” he explained while the PHS band was still blasting away boisterously. “We don’t want to risk anything stupid. I told our guys, ‘the only thing that can hold us back is us. Decisions that we make can hold us back.’ I told them enjoy the moment, see your parents, see the band, sing the alma mater, go home and enjoy it.”
There’s not another game on either team’s schedule that means more.
“Emotions are high. It’s a physical game,” he said. “We love the South Bossier community and we want to win for them.”
Emotions on any game night are not limited to the boys wearing shoulder pads and helmets.
“The key to the game? It was us! The student section, the hype, we kept them going,” said Melrose Beverly, a spirited senior Panther dance line member, who in her jubilation found a couple of gnarly reporters and delightfully said, “interview ME!”
“Pat Gray, Number 71 I think (correct, Melrose!), came over and told the band to play and get louder. And boom, we won the game tonight. It took the senior class four years to win against Airline, and we finally won.”
And what did she and a lot of other Parkway students do? They stormed the field – targeting the north end zone, not disrupting the hallowed handshake line.
“Abso-freaking-lutely! I was so excited to be down there. I was screaming,” she exclaimed (“said” just doesn’t cover it.)
“My shoulder popped out of socket during the game, and my shoulder hurts very badly right now, and I’m going home and take some Tylenol. But yes, I was rushing the end zone, I was so excited, wishing I could be on the field.”
Quickly social media heated up. The negative vibes were flowing. Parkway showed bad sportsmanship, said dozens of posters, plenty in a less than sportsmanlike way.
Nonsense.
It was a great game, played by teenagers, cheered on by their classmates, between teams and fan bases that take note of the game date as soon as the schedule pops out each spring. The thrill of victory is not restricted to those in numbered jerseys.
Parkway earned the right to celebrate in any respectful way it wanted. Turns out passing on a standard routine was at the very least, the safe decision, maybe not necessary, but harmless in the grand scheme.
Brotherton and staff made plenty of good calls during the game. The one they made at the end was another.
Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com