By Gray Haynes
On a hot night at The Pit in Minden, the North Webster Knights faced off against the Crimson Tide in the Battle for the Boot. Annually, the game is sponsored by the Louisiana National Guard. The two teams play for “The Boot” trophy. Minden got to keep the boot last year and brought it with them to the game. The Louisiana National Guard, led by recruiter for both schools, Hayden Frye, set up inflatable helmets for both teams and had recruiters and recruits around both sides.
The game was a tale of two halves. Minden took the opening kickoff and ran the ball down the field. They scored with 5:07 left in the first quarter after a near seven minute drive. The extra point was good to make the score 7-0 Minden. North Webster took the ensuing kickoff and matched the score. The extra point was good to make the score seven all. On their next possession, Minden scored on a long pass to make the score 14-7 in favor of the home team. North Webster took the kickoff and marched down to the Minden 3 yard line. On fourth and goal, from the 3, the Knights came up 6 inches short. Minden ran out the final minute of the game to leave the score 14-7 at the half. Both teams had only 2 possessions in the first half as ground attacks from the parish rivals kept the clock moving.
North Webster took the opening kickoff of the second half and drove the ball to midfield before giving up the ball on a fumble. The Tide scored four plays later to make the score 20-7. The point after touchdown came up short to leave the score 20-7. The two teams swapped punts and turnovers until the clock showed 5:30 seconds left in the game. The Knights took over at their own 40 yard line. Justin Stewart completed a pass to the left to Jameson Harden for 13. Stewart was, then, sacked before completing a pass for 48 yards and a touchdown to Braylon Washington. The point after touchdown was good to make the score 20-14 in favor of the home team. With three and half minutes left in the game, North Webster lined up for the onside kick.
The onside kick was recovered by Minden, but the Tide were flagged for offsides on the kickoff. North Webster teed the ball up again and kicked deep. With great kick coverage, Minden was pinned deep in their own territory at the 8 yard line. On first down, North Webster linebacker, Jeremiah Washington, pierced the Minden line and downed the running back for a loss of five back to the 3. Minden tried to get the ball out of the shadow of their own goalpost and faced a 3rd and 4 from their own 18. The Knights defense swarmed and forced a punt. After an errant snap on the punt, the kick was short and came to rest on the Tide 37 where the Knights faced 1st and ten, down by 6, with about two and half minutes left in the game.
On first down, a Stweart pass bounced off the hands of Harden right into the waiting hands of the Knight’s Dante Owens for a gain of 20. As the clock continued to click down, Stewart scrambled for ten. Then, JaMyrion Jackson took the ball down to the 6. Then Jackson’s number was called again taking the ball to the 3. With 50 seconds left in the game and no timeouts left, the Knights needed 3 yards to tie the game. Stewart called his own number following senior offensive linemen, Hudson Smith and Preston Dyer. He came up a little short on the first attempt, but the Knights ran the same play again and found paydirt with 10 seconds left in the game. This touchdown tied the score at 20 with ten seconds left in the game. The Knights lined up for the extra point to take the lead. The snap from Gerritt Gillentine was good to holder, Hayden Nance. Nance put it on the tee, and kicker, Christian Whitlock, split the uprights to give the Knights the lead 21-20 with ten ticks left on the clock. The Knights covered the ensuing kickoff well and stopped the Tide and the last play of the game to win the game and bring home “The Boot.”
