By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
For all the eye-popping plays Alabama commit Elijah Haven made for reigning Select Division III champion Dunham against Class 5A Parkway Friday afternoon, he wasn’t on the field for the one that mattered most.
After expanding a hard-earned five-point halftime edge with a touchdown drive to start the third quarter, Dunham special teams coach Matt Smith sold head coach Neil Weiner on trying an onside kick. It caught the Panthers off guard, and two snaps later it paid off with a 44-yard Beckett Wilson touchdown run – which counted despite his feet hitting the Parkway sideline at least twice, much to coach Coy Brotherton’s dismay — and that opened the floodgates.
Dunham ran away with a 55-15 victory in the opening game of a Friday doubleheader in the Stars & Stripes Border Classic at Independence Stadium, the season opener for both teams.
“The kids executed it great, and that allowed us to get two scores back-to-back. It put them in a bind,” said Weiner. “Their kids played hard, but both teams were cramping and some of their best players went out. Once that happens, and we’re up, the momentum keeps rolling.”
Parkway was within 20-15 at halftime, and might have led by converting more of its 52-21 advantage in offensive snaps. Brotherton agreed the Tigers’ double-tap sandwiched around the onside kick was too much to overcome for the young Panthers, who nearly knocked off eventual Non-Select Division I champion Ouachita in the state quarterfinals last November.
“The start of the second half was big. We had a lot of opportunities in the first half, that we needed to take advantage of, and we didn’t. They got the onside kick and we lost momentum,” he said.
Haven, “Mr. Louisiana Football” after last season, looked every bit the part with 176 yards on 11 runs, including touchdowns of 16, 14 and 2 yards. He had 151 yards passing, with TD connections of 19, 14 and 3 yards.
“He’s so dangerous with his legs,” said Brotherton. “Any time they got in short yardage, it was almost a guarantee they’d get the first down with the ball in his hands.”
At 6-5, 220 pounds, Haven has extraordinary mobility, a powerful arm and a style of play that has him ranked as the country’s top quarterback recruit by ESPN.com. His game mirrors a couple of recent Heisman Trophy winners.
“Cam Newton, Tim Tebow, a couple guys I wouldn’t want to play,” said Brotherton, “and Elijah Haven. He’s good.
“(But) they’re not just a one-man show,” he said. “They did a great job running the ball, they had a couple guys make one-handed touchdown catches. They go out and make plays. State championship teams make plays like that, and they should be back.”
Haven gave credit to his guys up front.
“Absolutely amazing performance by (the O-line),” he said. “We talked about being gritty for the team — those are the grittiest guys I know. They really were the powerhouse tonight, they fueled the offense for sure.”
Halfback Beckett Wilson had 120 yards on 12 carries as the Tigers ran for 306 yards.
Parkway got a good push from its offensive line and pounded away in the first half before the deficit required going up top. Damien Dacaldacal ran for 98 yards on 21 tries, including a score, and Braxxton Black added 71 on 10 runs.
The Panther defense intercepted Haven twice in the first half, and he got rocked by defensive tackle Rod Johnson on a blindside sack just after the onside kick.
“He’s tough to get a clean shot on,” said Weiner. “That’s the hardest I’ve seen him get hit in four years.”
Both teams will remember their meeting, which resulted from a winter phone call from Brotherton to his friend Weiner. They shared a warm visit postgame, and Brotherton’s 9-year-old son Broox got to meet Haven.
Watching him play was undeniably a treat. But the outcome stung.
“We haven’t lost like that in a long time. You could see the kids, they’re young. They probably have never done that,” said the Panthers’ coach. “Not a lot of fight, and that’s one thing we’ve got to fix.”
Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com