xRussell Hedges
rhedges@bossierpress.com
The numbers produced in Friday’s Parkway-Bastrop game at Bastrop were absolutely staggering.
First, there’s the score itself. The Panthers, ranked No. 2 in Class 5A, won 79-56.
The teams combined for 1,538 yards. Parkway had 734 (420 rushing, 314 passing). Bastrop had 804 (370 rushing, 434 passing).
The Panthers ran 53 plays, an average of 13.4 yards per play, and got 26 first downs. Bastrop ran 103 plays and got 37 first downs.
Parkway quarterback Brandon Harris accounted for eight touchdowns. He completed 16 of 26 passes for 314 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed 12 times for 158 yards and four touchdowns.
But the most important number to Parkway coach David Feaster was three. The Panthers, whose Week 2 game against Arkansas High was cancelled because of inclement weather, are now 3-0 on the season.
“We started out with the hardest schedule in the history of Parkway high school, and we have run the gauntlet of a very tough non-district,” Feaster said. “We’re tickled pink to be undefeated at this point. Bastop is a tough place to play.
“They grabbed the momentum in he first half and I didn’t think we’d ever get it back. So the fact that we overcame all that and played well on the road is going to be very important to us obviously down the road.”
Parkway led 47-40 at the half and then pulled away quickly in the second.
“We got a turnover in the first half that gave us a little bit of an edge with the lead, but they came back and made some big plays on us,” Feaster said. “They ran the ball on us at will at times and they threw the ball well, too.”
Feaster said there is some cause for concern that his defense gave up that many yards and points, but he isn’t worried about it.
“Sure we would love to beat them 79-0, but it is what it is,” he said. “Our defense played bend but don’t break the first two games. And these guys were able to break us at times. Now is it something that we’re worried about? No. It’s no great surprise. We graduated some very good defensive players and went into this season saying we would have to have guys really step up.”
Harris’ touchdown runs covered 2, 40, 3 and 74 yards. His touchdown passes went to Artavious Lynn (19 yards), Brodrick Jefferson (23 yards), Cory Hamilton (55 yards) and Demetrius McAtee (24 yards).
McAtee rushed for 108 yards on six carries. William McKnight scored on a 14-yard run, and Micah Lacy had a 4-yard TD run.
Hamilton had five receptions for 139 yards, and Jefferson had six for 119.
