By Gray Haynes |
Friday night, the North Webster Knights celebrated their seniors on the football team, cheerleading squad, danceline, and band. The Loyola Flyers came to town in a district 1-3A contest hoping to spoil the celebration. The Knights took the opening kickoff and marched down to the Flyers’ 24 yard line before failing to convert a 4th and 4. The Knights turned it over to the Flyers and their prolific passing attack. Six plays later, the Flyers crossed the goal line to make the score 6-0. The two point conversion failed. The Knights could get nothing going on their next possession and were forced to punt. The punt went to one of the fastest athletes in the state of Louisiana, and he showed his speed returning the punt 66 yards up the left sideline for a touchdown. With the Flyers up by 12, they elected to go for the two point conversion. The conversion failed to leave the score at 12-0 with about 3 minutes left in the first quarter. The Knights took nearly 6 minutes off the clock with their next drive, but they were forced to punt from the Loyola 40. They kept the ball away from the Flyers’ returner, but the punt was short; Loyola took over at their own 24 with a little over 9 minutes left in the half.
Loyola started the 2nd quarter much like they played the first. They marched down the field. When the Knights dropped a sure interception at the 15 yard line, the Flyers made them pay. Two plays later, the Flyers found the endzone for the third time on the night to make the score 18-0. They, again, tried for the two point conversion and were successful. This made the score 20-0 in the second quarter. Despite good field position after the kickoff, the Knights could get nothing going on offense and were forced to punt again. Loyola took over on their own 16 yard line with 5:17 left in the half. Two minutes later, Loyola found the end zone again. The two point conversion failed to make the score 26-0 with about 3 minutes left in the half. The Knights mounted their best drive of the half and made it down to the 4 yard line with a few seconds left in the half. An offside penalty moved them back to the 9 where they had time for one play. A pass to the back of the endzone fell to the dry turf to leave the sore 26-0 at the half.
Coming out in the third quarter, Loyola threw a wide receiver screen. Senior linebacker, Javion Hawthorne stripped the ball from the receiver, and senior linebacker Jeremiah Washington fell on the ball for the turnover. The Knights took over at the Loyola 40, but on a 4th down pass, the receiver slipped one yard short of the first down. Loyola took over again on offense. They took the ball down inside the red zone, but again fumbled. Senior defensive back, Chandler McKenzie fell on the ball to give the Knights another opportunity on offense. The Knights had to punt it back to the Flyers with 3:17 left in the 3rd period. It took Loyola a little over a minute to score again. The two point conversion was good to make the score 34-0 with a little over 2 minutes left in the 3rd quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Loyola found the end zone two more times failing on a two point conversion and making a PAT on their final score. The final score was 47-0 which was several points under Loyola’s season average for points. The Knights have a bye next week since Carroll was forced to cancel the rest of their season. North Webster will have to wait to see what week 11 will hold in the playoffs.
