AMITE, La. — Parklane Academy safety Wes Gill made a critical stop on a two-point conversion with 36 seconds to play, and the Pioneers held on for a 21-20 victory over the Oak Forest Yellow Jackets in Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Class 3A, District 2 action here Friday night.
The Pioneers improved to 4-2 overall and 2-0 in district play.
After the Yellow Jackets narrowed the score to 21-20, Oak Forest quarterback James Peterson scrambled to his left, then cut back to the middle as he prepared to let loose a pass toward the end zone, until Gill charged at Peterson, lowered his right shoulder and dropped the signal-caller about a half-yard shy of the goal line.
“He made a great play,” Parklane head coach Bo Milton said of Gill’s game-winning stop. “A lot of our players rallied to the ball. The defense really saved our skins.”
Milton said he called his normal goal line defense prior to the play. He added that he was not surprised by the Oak Forest coaching staff’s decision to go for two.
“They had nothing to lose,” he said. “It was a real hot and humid night.”
Parklane quarterback Steven Swindle was 7-for-19 passing for 119 yards, but it was the ground attack that really opened up things for the Pioneers. Josh Armstreet rushed the ball 27 times for 97 yards. As a team, the Pioneers rushed for 205 total yards against the Yellow Jacket defense.
Parklane opened a 7-0 lead when Swindle connected with split end Micah Moore on a touchdown pass with 3:35 left in the first quarter.
After Oak Forest tied the game with a touchdown of its own, the Pioneers regained the lead with 4:45 left before halftime on a 35-yard touchdown run by Gill to surge Parklane ahead 14-7.
Parklane found the end zone again in the third quarter when running back Chance Schmidt broke free for a 1-yard touchdown run up the middle to make it 21-7 with 5:13 to go in the period.
Meanwhile, the Pioneers’ defense held its own, allowing only 69 yards rushing for the game.
But Oak Forest scored on a 5-yard run to pull to within 21-14 with 4:45 to play. Things got even closer on the next Parklane drive when Swindle’s pass was intercepted, giving the Yellow Jackets possession near midfield with 3:42 remaining.
Oak Forest then drove downfield and cut the margin to 21-20 when Peterson avoided two Parklane defenders and went off left tackle for a 6-yard touchdown run with 36 seconds left.
After Gill’s game-saving play on the 2-point try, the Yellow Jackets got one final chance when they recorded the ensuing onside kick at the Parklane 40-yard line.
Four plays later, however, the rally attempt came to an end when Swindle picked off an Oak Forest pass from his defensive back position. The Pioneers ran out the clock from there.
Parklane will return to district action next Friday night when it hosts Bowling Green.
Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.
