The Parkway Panthers didn’t get off to a great start against the Covington Lions in the first round of the non-select Division I playoffs Friday night.
With 3:24 left in the first quarter, the Panthers trailed 10-0.
No problem. Parkway dominated the game the rest of the way, winning 51-30 at Bobby Marlow Field at Preston Crownover Stadium.
The No. 6 seed Panthers (10-1) will host No. 11 Hahnville in the second round Friday. The Tigers (9-2) defeated No. 22 Slidell 52-39 in the first round.
No. 27 seed Covington closed its season 6-5.
Parkway used a punishing ground game mixed with Kaleb Williams’ effective passing to get the victory.
The Panthers rolled up 332 yards rushing On 56 attempts. Braxxton Black had a team-high 99 yards on 20 carries and scored two TDs. Damian Decaldecal had 84 on 15 and scored a TD.
Williams completed 14-of-18 passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 77 yards and a touchdown.
Antonio Gladney caught seven passes for 102 yards and a TD. Gary Burney had five catches for 62 yards and a touchdown.
The defense gave up some big plays but overall turned in a solid performance.
Safety Mark Copenhaver had nine total tackles, including two for loss. Linebackers Brady Prine and Colby Lee each had seven.
Safeties Gladney and Dallas Loche and cornerback Avery Price had five apiece.
Parkway’s first touchdown came in an unusual fashion. From the Covington 14, Williams completed a pass to Burney. Right after he caught it, the ball was knocked out of his hands. But Gladney grabbed it just above the turf and went into the end zone.
Williams hit Gladney with a pass for two-point conversion to get the Panthers within two.
Covington answered with a 61-yard touchdown drive to go up 16-8 early in the second quarter.
Parkway then went 78 yards for a touchdown. Williams faked a handoff to Decaldecal and sprinted through a big hole opened up by the line 48 yards for the score.
Williams’ two-point conversion pass to Rod Johnson tied it at 16 with 8:33 left in the half.
The Panthers took the lead for the first time — and for good — after forcing a punt.
Parkway drove 85 yards. Williams completed a 24-yard pass to Gladney to the 7. Decaldecal ran to the 4 then 1. Black scored with just 11 seconds left and
Parkway led 22-16 at the half.
The Panthers started to get a little breathing room in the third quarter. They took the second-half kickoff and drove 73 yards for a touchdown.
Freshman AJ Johnson, who had an 18-yard run in the drive, scored from 3 yards out. Williams hit Gladney for the conversion, extending the lead to 30-16.
But Covington didn’t make things easy. Thanks to a good kickoff return and a penalty, the Lions took over at the Parkway 37 and promptly scored on a pass to get within seven.
Parkway answered with a 76-yard touchdown drive caped by a 7-yard run by Decaldecal.
After forcing a punt, the Panthers took complete control with a 69-yard touchdown drive. Williams completed a 13-yard pass to Burney for the score. Thad Smith’s PAT made it 44-23 with 44 seconds left in the third quarter,
The Lions got within 14 on a 53-yard touchdown run early in the fourth, but they would get no closer.
Black scored the game’s final TD on a 1-yard run.
Westgate 49, Airline 14: At New Iberia, the the No. 17 seed Vikings dug themselves a deep early hole and couldn’t climb out.
Westgate, the No. 16 seed, avenged a 42-16 loss to Airline in the second round last year.
The Vikings closed the season 7-4. The Tigers, who have won six in a row, visit No. 1 seed Ruston in the second round.
Westgate scored three quick touchdowns to go up 21-0. They added a safety and then extended the lead to 29-0.
West Feliciana 49, Bossier 6: At St. FrancisvIlle, the No. 22 seed Bearkats got an early score but the No. 11 Saints proved too much to handle in the non-select Division II first-round game.
West Feliciana led 35-6 at the half and 42-6 after three quarters.
Bossier closed its best season since 2021 4-7. West Feliciana (7-4) visits No. 6 Brusly in the second round.