A strong defensive effort helped the Parkway Panthers open District 1-5A play with a 29-6 victory over the Huntington Raiders Thursday night at Independence Stadium.
Parkway improved to 3-1 with its third straight victory. Huntington fell to 0-4.
Huntington scored on its first drive but the Panthers kept the Raiders out of the end zone after that.
Linebacker Kaden Pugh and safety Gabe Soileau led the Panthers with 13 total tackles each. Safety Dallas Loche had 11 total tackles and returned an interception for a touchdown. Linebacker Easton Hill had 10 total tackles and linebacker Cam Davis had eight assists.
But Parkway Head Coach Coy Brotherton said the whole defense played well.
“No doubt. Bend but don’t break,” he said. “We never gave up a big play. And that was kind of our emphasis all week was they can get first downs but just eliminate the big play and make them drive the field and not make a mistake. And that’s what they did all night.”
Parkway led 16-6 at the half. The Panthers had chances to extend the lead in the quarter but couldn’t do it.
Huntington’s only scoring opportunity in the second half came after the Raiders recovered a muffed punt at the Parkway 37 early in the fourth quarter.
The Raiders reached the 12, but Loche made a tackle for a 4-yard loss on third-and-6. On fourth down, the Panthers got good pressure on quarterback Brylan Washington and his pass to the end zone was incomplete.
Parkway then took almost than seven minutes off the clock on an 84-yard touchdown drive capped by a 13-yard run by Easton Hill with 2:46 left.
Loche scored the game’s final touchdown on a 62-yard interception return.
Parkway’s offense got off to a strong start. The Panthers scored touchdowns on drives of 80 and 73 yards.
Bryston McCoy completed a couple of passes to Gary Burney and Braxxton Black had some nice gains on the first drive. Black scored on a 3-yard run and a two-point conversion failed.
Burney made a one-handed catch in the end zone on a nice 38-yard pass from McCoy to cap the second drive. Thad Smith’s extra-point kick gave the Panthers a 13-6 lead.
Huntington had one other scoring threat in the first half. The Raiders had a first down at the Parkway 29. But the Panthers broke up a pass in the end zone on fourth-and-10.
Smith kicked a 29-yard field goal with 3:29 left in the half.
After the first two drives, Parkway’s offense struggled at times especially on scoring opportunities in the third quarter.
“Self-inflicted wounds,” Brotherton said. “Always keep doing it to ourselves with presnap penalties and mistakes.
“I thought we ran the ball well. We just got behind the sticks at times and it makes it difficult.”
Black rushed for 143 yards on 20 carries, his third straight game of 100 yards or more.
McCoy completed 14-of-23 passes for 163 yards. Burney had four catches for 73 yards. Tristan Sedberry had three for 43. Gray had five for 40.
Parkway hosts Haughton next Thursday. The Bucs play Captain Shreve Friday night.