Young players played big roles in keeping the Parkway Panthers undefeated Friday night.
Freshman Thad Smith kicked a 23-yard field goal on the game’s final play to give Parkway a 45-42 District 1-5A victory over the Captain Shreve Gators at Bobby Marlow Field at Preston Crownover Stadium.
The Panthers improved to 8-0 overall and 6-0 in district. Parkway visits Benton (2-6, 1-5) Thursday night. If Parkway wins, the Panthers will play Evangel Christian for the district championship in the regular-season finale Nov. 7 at Evangel.
Parkway also moved up to No. 2 in the non-select Division I power rankings. The top four team in the final rankings receive first-round byes in the playoffs.
Captain Shreve dropped to 4-4 overall and 4-2 in district.
On the game-winning field goal, the center was sophomore Josh Gallman and the holder was freshman Brylan Washington, the backup quarterback.
Both did their jobs perfectly as did Smith.
The field goal came after Shreve erased a 15-point third-quarter deficit with a touchdown pass and two-point conversion with 4:13 left in the game.
The Gators went 95 yards for the touchdown after stopping Parkway short of a first down on fourth-and-2.
The Panthers actually thought they had the drive stopped when a swing pass fell incomplete on fourth-and-2 from the Parkway 42.
But the whistle blew before the play. The Gators were penalized 5 yards and made the most of the second chance with Jackson Gaskin hitting a wide-open receiver for the TD.
Parkway’s AJ Johnson, another freshman, picked up the ball on the kickoff and returned it to the Shreve 46.
Quarterback Kaleb Williams ran for a first down on third-and-4 from the 31. Braxxton Black carried twice to the 10 and Shreve called its last timeout with 22.4 seconds left.
Johnson took the ball to the 7 and Draidyn Davis went up the middle to the 5.
The Panthers called time out with 2.7 seconds left and sent the field goal team on the field.
“We Just kind of wanted to work the four-minute offense,” Brotherton said. “The main goal right then was to make sure Shreve doesn’t get a chance to beat you in regulation.
“Obviously we were trying to punch it in there at the end there when we got inside the 10. But also trying to work the clock. We got the ball in the middle of the field. We felt comfortable enough to put Thad out there and he made the kick.”
Parkway’s biggest lead was 42-27 with 6:15 left in the third quarter after sophomore Damian Decaldecal scored on a 49-yard run.
The Panthers led 36-27 at half.
Both teams scored in the final minute of the second quarter. The Gators scored with 34 seconds left.
The Panthers started at their 20 and reached their 42. Williams hit sophomore Gabriel Gray for 48 yards to the 10 then stopped the clock with a spike.
Williams then found Josh Coleman in the end zone with 4.3 seconds left and a two-point conversion was successful.
Williams completed 15-of-24 passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns. His other TD pass of 32 yards went to Gray.
Williams also rushed for 75 yards on 11 carries including scrambles and designed runs. He scored a two-point conversion.
Parkway amassed 465 yards rushing. Decaldecal had 163 yards on 11 carries. He scored two touchdowns and a conversion. Johnson had 120 on 18 and scored one TD. Black had 76 on 11 with a TD and conversion.
“We ran the ball more than we threw the ball tonight,” Brotherton said. “It was kind of not our gameplan going in. It was just kind of what was there. That’s pretty cool, just kind of win on a different way.”
Shreve failed to get points after all of its touchdowns except the last. The Gators also had a 37-yard field goal.
The Panthers had a tough time stopping Shreve’s running game led by Jamarcea Plater and Gabe Lockett. Shreve had scoring runs of 79 and 80 yards in the first quarter.
“Their explosive,” Brotherton said. “They hit some big plays on us. We kind of got exposed a little bit on that tonight. But those guys are good. Plater’s good. Lockett kid’s good.”
Safety Mark Copenhaver led Parkway with 10 total tackles. Linebackers Colby Lee and Brady Prine had eight and seven, respectively.
Defensive end Rod Johnson forced a fumble and safety Dallas Loche recovered one. Safety Antonio Gladney had an interception.