By Gray Haynes

On a warm night in Springhill, this Friday, parish rival Minden came to town to face the Knights for the Louisiana Army National Guard Battle of the Boot.  This would be the first home game of the year for the Knights and a shut-out 20-0.  Baucum-Farrar stadium was ready for the game with the fire department hanging a huge American flag in the South end zone and the Louisiana National Guard providing inflatable run-throughs for both teams.  The game turned out to be a defensive struggle between the two teams.

North Webster took the opening kick off and was forced to punt.  Minden ran the ball down the field gaining some momentum until they were picked off at the Knight’s 25 yard line by North Webster linebacker Jeremiah Washington.  Two plays later North Webster fumbled the ball back to Minden as a runner fought for extra yards.  A few plays later, the Tide scored on an eight yard run.  The PAT was no good to make the score 6-0 Minden late in the first quarter.

The Knights took the ensuing kickoff and tried to mount a drive but turned the ball over on downs.  Minden took over on offense, and their first play from scrimmage was a pass into the endzone that was intercepted by  Donte Owens.  After the touchback, North Webster started their next drive from the twenty.  Minden’s defense held tough once again, and the Knights were forced to punt.  Minden took the punt and put together a good drive until the Knights defense stiffened up at the thirty yard line and forced the Tide to attempt a forty yard field goal.  The kick was good, and the score was 9-0 Minden.

On the ensuing drive, Minden forced the Knights to punt again, and the Tide gave heavy pressure up the middle and blocked the punt.  They scooped the blocked punt and scored their second touchdown of the night.  After a penalty on the PAT attempt, Minden elected to go for the two point conversion.  The run barely snuck across the goal line to make the score Minden 17 North Webster 0 at the half.

For much of the third quarter, the two teams traded punts as both defenses played well.  In the third quarter, Jameson Harden recovered a fumble for the Knights, but the offense could do nothing with the opportunity.  The two teams began trading punts again.  After a North Webster fumble gave Minden good field position, Minden was able to manage another field goal-this one from seventeen yards.  That kick made the score Minden 20 North Webster 0.  This would end up being the final score as both teams were held scoreless for the final few minutes of the game.  

Next week, the Knights are back on the road making the short trip to Homer to face the Pelicans.