By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
In a game with 1,165 yards of offense and 84 points on the scoreboard, evenly split between District 1-5A unbeaten Parkway and resurgent Captain Shreve, there was no shortage of stars to cast in the game-winner’s role Friday night.
The Panthers got 100-yard rushing games from Damien Dacaldacal (11-165, 2 touchdowns) and A.J. Johnson (18-118, 1 TD), and 237 combined yards by quarterback Kaleb Williams (165 in the air).
The Gators growled behind Jamarcea Plater’s usual brilliance (240 total yards, 219 on 20 carries, notably a 79-yard TD), Gabe Lockett’s 119 yards (including an 80-yard dash) and Jackson Gaskin’s 273 combined (226 passing, including a game-tying 47-yard TD to Kaleb Law with 4:12 to go).
It came down to the last snap, by design of Parkway coach Coy Brotherton, mostly because of Captain Shreve’s big play capabilities. The other factor was the Gators’ defense, for a change.
Yes, the same Shreve defenders who were playing without their top two linebackers, a unit that had given up 20 consecutive touchdown drives over the previous two games and the first two series in this one.
Weird, huh? It gets stranger. None of the players who accounted for any of Parkway’s 619 total yards provided the decisive points in the 45-42 thriller.
The Panthers preserved their unbeaten season (8-0, 6-0 in 1-5A) thanks to a rarely used kicker, a freshman much more comfortable as a defender in soccer. A guy who missed his only previous kick, an extra point try, in the first half.
Today is going to be a fabulous day to be Thad Smith at Parkway High School. He’s earned it.
Not only by nailing the game-winning 23-yarder from the center of the field, but because he felt better about his chances after he put in lots of extra work in the past week, including the day before Friday’s game.
It was his first ever high school field goal, unless you count the one he kicked, also a walk-off, to beat Huntington recently in a freshman game.
But it was Smith’s practice that helped Parkway stay perfect. On his own, after the team’s walk-through Thursday, Smith and his younger brother spent about two hours kicking, said Parkway specialists coach Mike Concilio, the final round of a weeklong series of extra reps.
“For three days, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, he took the tripod. We had 10 balls, he’d kick ‘em and chase ‘em. I had a chance to work with him a little bit Wednesday, but the other two days, he was out there all on his own,” said Concilio.
“Hard work pays off,” the 27-year coaching veteran said.
When Brotherton got conservative in the final minute with Parkway in the red zone, pounding it up the middle on four plays from the 18 down to the 7, Concilio realized to avoid overtime, Smith could be Parkway’s final chance.
“I felt really good because I saw how much work he had done that nobody else had seen,” said Concilio.
As for Smith, he was a bit unsteady.
“I was not thinking much. It was a lot of pressure. I really did want them to score the touchdown, but it was a great opportunity for me to kick a game-winning field goal,” he said.
His mom, Parkway Algebra II teacher Shannon Smith, was beside herself but fortunately had encouraging friends beside her in the stands at Preston Crownover Stadium.
“It was very exciting,” she said on the field beside her boy afterward, “but very stressful.”
“The ball went through and then there were a lot of people jumping on me. It was insane,” Smith said. “This is at the top of the list for anything I’ve done, that’s for sure.”
“I told him, ‘that’s your first attempt, and that will be your best memory probably ever,” said Brotherton.
Youth served Parkway well when it mattered most. Sophomore Josh Gallman snapped to freshman holder Brylan Washington, and moments later Gators’ defenders lay prone on the field as Panthers danced off it.
Brotherton reluctantly called for the field goal after Parkway cautiously moved 39 yards downfield on 10 plays. The drive started following A.J. Johnson’s 41-yard kickoff return after Shreve completed a 15-point rally to tie it at 42-all with just over 4 minutes left.
“We didn’t want to give them a chance. They had 2-3 80-yard touchdowns tonight. They have home run hitters,” he said. “We weren’t settling for the field goal, but we weren’t going to give them the ball back.
“I hated putting those kids in that situation where they could be a failure. To see them succeed is a memory that will last them forever.
“I didn’t talk to him at all. I actually handed my headset to an assistant coach, and said, ‘he’s gonna make it.’ I’m glad he did. That was special.”
It was painful for Shreve (4-4, 4-2), which suffered its third straight loss – but a 180-degree turn from the last two, where the Gators were outscored 136-53 by two state 5A top 10 teams, Evangel and Destrehan.
“We had a really good week of practice, best since I took over the program,” said second-year coach Jeremy Wilburn. “This would have been a big power point bump for us, gotten us probably a home (playoff) game in the first round.
“But wherever we wind up, they’ll have a good football game on their hands.”
Hard to top Friday night’s.
Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com