JOURNAL SPORTS
Parkway’s nailbiting District 1-5A wins over Airline and Captain Shreve made Friday night’s second-round Non-Select Division I playoff battle with Hahnville familiar territory for the Panthers.
They remained unbeaten in close games as the sixth-seeded hosts topped No. 11 Hahnville 37-31 in overtime after coming from behind in both halves.
Parkway (11-1) overcame a 28-17 third-quarter deficit to claim a late three-point edge, getting two sort Braxxton Black touchdown runs and a key two-point conversion connection between quarterback Kaleb Williams and Gary Burney with 5:47 left to play.
Hahnville (9-3) manufactured a clutch drive but had to settle for a 21-yard field goal with 2:21 remaining that tied the contest.
Williams found tight end Draidyn Davis for an 8-yard TD on the second play in overtime, but the extra point kick was wide, leaving the Tigers trailing by six.
Hahnville didn’t gain a yard on the Panthers’ defense on its four snaps in OT – although the Tigers dropped a potential tying TD pass on third down.
Freshman kicker Thad Smith booted a career-long 34-yard field goal in the final minute of the first half for a 17-14 Parkway edge at the break.
Tony Gladney’s 114 rushing yards and 108 by Black fueled the Panthers. Parkway’s defense allowed only 57 rushing yards and 259 total, while the Panthers ran for 321 and Williams threw for another 169 and three scores.
Calvary moved to 10-1 with its 66-30 Select Division III homefield rout of Metairie Park Country Day, although the Cajuns stunned the Cavaliers by taking a 16-7 first-period lead. Both teams scored on opening drives, then the visitors rang up nine points on two plays, a botched Calvary snap for a safety followed by a 75-yard TD runback of the free kick.
But the Cavs roared to life, getting a touchdown catch and an interception, both on deflected balls collected by Trey McDaniel, with the pickoff returned just shy of the end zone as Calvary ran off 35 unanswered points for a 42-16 halftime advantage.
Second-round LHSAA playoff results involving local teams:
Non-Select Division I
No. 6 Parkway 37, No. 11 Hahnville 31 (OT)
Select Division I
No. 4 Catholic-Baton Rouge 37, No. 20 Captain Shreve 14
No. 8 Evangel 34, No. 9 St. Paul’s 14
Select Division II
No. 2 Loyola 42, No. 18 Belaire 0
No. 4 University Lab 50, No. 13 Booker T. Washington 16
Select Division III
No. 6 Calvary 66, No. 11 Metairie Park Country Day 30