SA vs. Parklane: Week 5
Photos by Chuck Barnes Photography
Pioneers Stymie Vols
McComb - In sports, as in life, sometimes you’re the windshield and sometimes you’re the bug.
One didn’t have to be familiar with Newton’s third law of motion to figure out which team was which here Friday night.
Starkville Academy’s three hour, 15 minute, 205-mile trip south to Parklane Academy certainly went south in a hurry. Things did not go well or end well as the pink-clad Pioneers cruised to a convincing 37-0 victory over the out-manned Volunteers at Cowart-Smith Stadium.
Parklane, 5-0, led 7-0 at the end of the first quarter, 24-0 at halftime, and 37-0 through three quarters in handing SA, 4-1, its first loss of the season. The 13 points scored by the Pioneers in the third quarter were the first allowed by the Vols in the third quarter all season. And the 37 points were just three shy of the combined number of points SA had allowed through the first four games.
“Parklane has a great team,” SA coach Chase Nicholson said. “They showed us we have a lot to work on and keep getting better at. We’re looking forward to that.”
SA came into the game undefeated with wins over Chambers Academy (Alabama), Winston Academy, East Rankin and Bayou Academy. Two of those wins came on the road. The last came at home, a game in which the Vols won 42-7 and put together arguably their best overall performance in all three phases. Undefeated Parklane, a 18-7 winner over Jackson Prep earlier this season, proved to be a way more formidable opponent, however.
SA’s offense managed only 72 yards – 36 rushing, 36 passing – and was held scoreless for the first time this season by a Parklane defense that is now allowing only 5.2 points per game this season. Meanwhile, SA’s defense – minus a few key contributors – gave up 349 total yards (172 rushing, 177 passing) and a season-high 37 points. The Vols’ defense came in allowing just 10 points and 148 total yards per game.
Senior running back Tanner Kyzar rushed for 118 yards on 20 carries and had touchdown runs of 1, 5 and 8 yards. Two of those were set up by SA turnovers. When Kyzar wasn’t doing damage on the ground, senior quarterback Braxton Hughes went to work through the air. He completed 14 of 22 passes, including a couple of touchdowns – the last covering 50 yards on the final play of the third quarter – setting into motion a running clock.
Parklane coughed up the ball twice, once in the first quarter and again early in the third quarter. SA came away empty each time, however, and was never able to mount much of a charge throughout the game.
The reigning Class 5A state champion Pioneers, winners of 13 straight and 17 of their last 19, were simply too good on this late September evening.
“I’m always proud of my guys,” Nicholson said. “Our goals are still out in front of us.”
One of those goals is to get back on the winning track this week with a win at Pillow Academy. SA rallied for a 20-14 win a year ago on a rainy, wind-swept night in Greenwood, extending its winning streak to five games in the series. The clock ran out at the end on the Mustangs, who had driven the ball inside the Vols’ 1-yard line looking for the go-ahead score.
Pillow enters 2-4 overall, including a 35-28 overtime win over Bayou this past week. The Mustangs are scoring 17.7 points per game and allowing 34.3 points per game.
