By Gray Haynes
Friday night, the North Webster Knights traveled to Blanchard, on the campus of Northwood High School to play the Green Oaks Giants. Since Caddo Parish has more high schools than football fields, the teams share facilities. North Webster traveled in their new, all-white uniforms. The Knights had new uniforms but were missing some key players to injury and other factors for the game on this warm Friday night. The Knights won the coin toss and elected to receive the football to start the game. The Knights returned the opening kickoff out to the 38 yard line. The Knights started out with a 12 yard run by J’Quorion Easter, then they jumped offsides. Then, the Knights picked up 20 yards on a run, but it was called back for holding. Then the Knights took a sack for a loss and were forced to punt. Little did the Knight Nation know at that early stage of the game that the first series would be a sign of things to come.
The punt rolled into the endzone for a touchback, and Green Oaks began their first drive at the 20 yard line. The Giants marched down the field on a long drive taking all but 2:30 minutes of the 1st quarter. Green Oaks picked up several key 3rd downs on the drive. The North Webster defense stopped them at the 2 yard line with a goal line stand. The Knights took over deep in their own territory and were promptly greeted with a tackle in the end zone for a Green Oaks safety. The score was 2-0 Green Oaks. North Webster also had to kick the ball back to the Giants from the 20 yard line and send the worn out defense back out onto the field. Green Oaks started their next drive at the North Webster 36 after the free kick after the safety. The Giants worked their way down the field and scored on the first play of the 2nd quarter on a 6 yard slant route. The two-point conversion attempt was no good, giving the home team an 8-0 lead.
After the ensuing kickoff, North Webster’s offense took the field again at their own 35. The Knights were forced to punt. A kick-catch interference penalty called on the punt moved the ball forward for Green Oaks. They began their third drive from near midfield. After 3 incomplete passes, Green Oaks punted the ball back to the Knights. North Webster took over at their own 18 yard line with 7:49 left in the half. On their first play from scrimmage, the Knights fumbled, and Green Oaks scooped up the loose ball and returned it 29 yards for a touchdown. This time, the two-point conversion was good, making the score 16-0 in favor of Green Oaks. North Webster got the ball back at their own 39 with 7:27 left in the half. The Knights began a methodical drive that culminated in a 12 yard run by Javion Hawthorne for a touchdown. The two-point attempt was no good, making the score 16-6 with 5: 23 left in the first half. Green Oaks brought the ensuing kickoff out to the 30 yard line. After penalties tried to keep the Giants’ drive alive, North Webster’s defense forced a punt from the 35 yard line. The Knights’ offense trotted back onto the field but was forced to punt it back to Green Oaks with about a minute left in the half. At the half, the score was 16-6.
Green Oaks took the second half kickoff out to midfield but promptly fumbled the ball back to their own 40 yard line. The Giants retained possession, but they faced a 2nd down and 20. On the next play, Green Oaks completed a pass over the middle of the field with Knights’ defenders all around. The pass and run was good for 30 yards. A few plays later, the Giants completed another pass down to the 2 yard line. The quarterback called his own number and took it into the endzone from there. The two-point attempt was good to make the score 24-6 with 8:18 left in the 3rd quarter.
North Webster picked up a free five yards on an offsides against the defense to start their next drive, but they could do nothing with the free yardage and were forced to punt. The teams then traded punts. Green Oaks took advantage of a very athletic team, and returned the North Webster punt for a 40 yard touchdown. The two-point attempt was no good making the score 30-6 with a little under a minute left in the 3rd period. The ensuing kickoff proved to be too hot for the Knights to handle, and Green Oaks jumped on the ball to take over at the 15. They scored on the next play with a pass to the corner of the endzone. The two-point try was no good to make the score 36-6 as the 3rd quarter wound down.
The Knights began the 4th quarter with a long drive, scoring with 4:15 left in the game on a pass from Deaken Whitlock to Jardin Gill. The PAT by Heath Hamilton was good to make the score 36-13. On the kickoff back to Green Oaks, the Giants ran a reverse and scored from 60 yards out to make the score 42-13. The two-point attempt was good to make the final score 44-13.
