The Airline Vikings edged the Haughton Buccaneers 51-48 in District 1-5A action Friday night at Airline.
In another 1-5A contest, the Parkway Panthers improved to 2-0 in district with a 69-68 victory over Southwood at Parkway.
In the other 1-5A games, Benton fell to Captain Shreve 40-36 at Benton, and Natchitoches Central downed Byrd 88-47 in Natchitoches.
Elsewhere, the Bossier Bearkats won their third straight game in the Bossier Invitational, defeating DeRidder 66-38.
At Airline, Devin Bilbo led the Vikings (4-7, 1-1) with 17 points. Devarrick Woods added 10.
Zion Nelson paced Haughton (5-3, 2-2) with 14 points. KJ Allen and Malachi Burks scored 11 and 10, respectively.
Burks had eight points in the first half and Haughton led 23-20.
Bilbo and Woods scored six each in the third quarter as the Vikings took a slim 35-33 lead.
Airline’s Trevon Jackson and Haughton’s Ryan Rimmer both knocked down two 3-pointers in the fourth.
The Vikings’ Colby O’glee, who scored nine points, was 4-of-4 from the free throw line in the quarter.
Nelson kept Haughton in it with seven points, but Airline pulled out the victory.
The Vikings had a big advantage at the free throw line, hitting 14–of-22. The Bucs were 4-of-6.
Haughton had the advantage from behind the arc, making eight to Airline’s three. Allen and Nelson had three each.
Airline is scheduled to host Parkway on Tuesday. Haughton is scheduled to visit Southwood.
At Parkway, the Panthers, who improved to 6-2 overall, hit 12 3-pointers in the victory. The Cowboys (9-10, 1-1) had two.
Christian McCoy, who sank five 3s, and Bryce Roberts led Parkway with 19 and 17 points, respectively.
Trae Ware hit four 3s and finished with 14 points. Jalun Reed chipped in with nine.
Making five 3s, Parkway raced to a 21-12 first-quarter lead. The Panthers stayed hot in the second quarter with four more 3s and led 39-27 at the half.
Eric McKnight Jr. sparked a second half rally by Southwood, scoring 20 of his game-high 31 points. The Cowboys got within four after three quarters.
But McCoy nailed two 3s and Ware one in the fourth to help the Panthers get the win.
At Benton, Captain Shreve improved to 10-7 and 1-1 with the victory. Benton dropped to 14-5 and 0-2.
Defending champion Natchitoches Central improved to 11-1 and 2-0. Byrd dropped to 3-2 and 0-2.
At Bossier, Joseph Manning led the Bearkats (10-5) past DeRidder with 24 points. Cinco Bryant added 13. Ten Bearkats scored in the game.
Manning scored 17 of Bossier’s 22 second-quarter points and the Bearkats led 34-21 at the half.
Bossier held the Dragons (7-7) to just five points in the third and led 47-26 going into the fourth.
In the first game Friday, Plain Dealing fell to Green Oaks 55-50. In the nightcap, 2020 Division IV runner-up Calvary Baptist edged 2020 3A runner-up Wossman 55-54.
The event concludes with Saturday with five games in two sessions.
In Session I, Homer faces North Caddo at 10 a.m., Plain Dealing takes on Loyola at noon and DeRidder meets Mansfield at 2 p.m.
In Session II, Wossman plays Red River at 4:30 and Bossier faces Ouachita Parish at 6:30.
The gym will be cleared after the first session.
