Russell Hedges
Rhedges@bossierpress.com
The Parkway Panthers advanced to the Class 5A state championship game with a nailbiting 28-27 victory over the Covington Lions Friday night in Covington.
Parkway (13-0), the No. 2 seed, will face No. 1 Acadiana (13-1) for the state championship a week from Saturday at 8 p.m. in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
Parkway will be the first Bossier City school to play for a state championship in the Superdome. Â Parkway is the first Bossier Parish school to reach an LHSAA state title game since Haughton in 1978. Haughton was the last parish school to win a state title. The Buccaneers won the Class 3A title in 1977 Under coach Bobby Ray McHalffey.
Covington, the No. 14 seed, ended its season 9-5. It was the Panthers’ fourth straight road win in the playoffs.
Parkway turned the ball over three times in the first half and trailed 28-27. William McKnight scored to tying touchdown on a 36-yard run early in the fourth quarter. Avery Shoebridge’s fourth extra point of the game made it 28-27.
After struggling in the first half, the Parkway defense rose to the occasion in the second. Austin Averitt had into big interceptions. He also dropped CJ Sims for a loss on fourth-and-2 with 2:16 remaining in the game. Marquis King picked off a halfback pass inside the Parkway 5.
The Panthers rallied from deficits of 14-0 and 20-7. Quarterback Brandon Harris scored on a 33-yard run and hit Demetrius McAtee for 13 yards and a touchdown. Parkway took its first lead of the game on a 4-yard pass from Harris to Brodrick Jefferson, who played through an injury.
Covington regained the lead on a 1-yard run late in the half after intercepting a Harris screen pass.
Although he turned the ball over a couple of times, Harris again came through for the Panthers. He twice bulled his way for first downs on fourth and short in the second half.
