The showdown is set.
The Parkway Panthers will play the Evangel Christian Academy Eagles for the District 1-5A championship Friday night at Evangel.
Also at stake will be an undefeated regular season for Parkway. The Panthers improved to 9-0 overall and 7-0 in district with a 58-42 victory over the Benton Tigers Thursday night at Newman-Mason Field at Tiger Stadium.
Evangel (8-2, 7-0) had a seven-game winning streak snapped with a 24-22 non-district loss to Lafayette Christian Thursday night.
Benton dropped to 2-7 and 1-6.
Parkway jumped on top early and led 29-6 after the first quarter. Benton rallied in the second and got within 29-16. But the Panthers added a touchdown just before the half to go up 37-16.
Parkway extended the lead to 51-22 after three quarters. The Tigers scored three touchdowns in the final quarter.
Parkway rolled up 565 yards total with good balance. Kaleb Williams completed 14-of-22 passes for 283 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions.
Antonio Gladney had a big night with six catches for 131 yards, including a 4-yard touchdown catch. He had two big catches in the first quarter that set up touchdowns.
Gabriel Gray had three catches for 96 yards and two touchdowns covering 51 yards in the first quarter and 33 in the third.
Gary Burney had four catches for 62 yards including a 2-yard TD catch in the first quarter.
The Panthers had 267 yards on the ground. Braxxton Black had a team-high 96 yards on 14 carries.
Damian Decaldecal rushed for 57 yards on six carries and scored on an 11-yard run in the second quarter. That TD was set up by a 48-yard run by Williams on third-and-7 from the Parkway 38.
Williams also scored the Panthers’ first TD on a 3-yard run around right end. He finished with 64 yards on six carries.
AJ Johnson scored Parkway’s second TD on a 6-yard run. He had a 26-yard run on the drive.
Draiyden Davis scored on a 3-yard run. He, Black and Josh Gallman all scored two-point conversions. Thad Smith kicked four extra points.
Linebacker Brady Prine led the defense with 11 total tackles. Safeties Dallas Loche and Mark Copenhaver had eight and six, respectively. Loche also had two interceptions.
Benton quarterback Malachi Zeigler completed 20-of-37 passes for 237 yards and two touchdowns, per stats kept for the Benton Tigers Sports Network broadcast.
He also scored the Tigers’ first touchdown on an 18-yard run.
Zeigler completed passes of 27 yards to Rydon McCormack and 32 to Kam Smith on the Tigers’ second touchdown drive. Maurice Goins scored on a 5-yard run.
Will Petro kicked a 22-yard field goal to get Benton within 13 in the the second quarter.
Zeigler threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Maddox Raymond in the third quarter. He added a 48-yard TD pass to Case Austin in the fourth.
Greg Chambers also scored on runs of 11 and 49 yards in the fourth.
Benton closes its first season under Head Coach Stephen Dennis next Friday at home against Natchitoches Central. The Chiefs (5-4, 3-4) defeated Huntington 33-14 Thursday night.