Huge second-half helps Nolan Catholic turn back Parish Episcopal for district title
In what could be considered as the biggest high school football game in Nolan Catholic history, the Vikings didn’t have the greatest of starts Friday night.
Nolan couldn’t get into a groove in the first half as Dallas Parish Episcopal led 14-0 at intermission.
But Nolan, the No. 2 ranked TAPPS team in the state, dominated the second half with 31 unanswered points and made a statement, shocking No. 1 and defending state champ Parish, 31-14, in a TAPPS Division 1-1 showdown at Doskocil Stadium.
“We were so out of rhythm in the first half and that’s a really good football team, but our guys just kept battling. That was really the message,” Nolan coach David Beaudin said. “They did and they have all year and that’s why I love these guys.”
The Vikings (6-0 overall, 6-0 district) win the district championship with the TAPPS playoffs starting next week. Nolan will have a bye. The Panthers dropped to 6-1.
“They’ve been through so much this year. Everyone has,” Beaudin said. “But to go out on top against a good team, I couldn’t be happier for them. I’m so proud.”
Trailing 14-0 at the break, Nolan went 97 yards on 12 plays and capped it off with a 1-yard run by Sergio Snider to cut the lead to 14-7 with 4:33 left in the third quarter. The big play was a 40-yard run by 4-star running back Emeka Megwa.
The drive was set up when Nolan’s Keontae Williams made a one-handed interception in the end zone that would later get No. 2 on Sportscenter’s Top 10 plays.
Two plays after the score and Parish fumbled while Nolan recovered. The Vikings scored on a 34-yard field goal from Riley Riethman to make it 14-10 late in the third quarter.
“We went into halftime and said it’s time to pick it up,” Williams said. “We came out and played Nolan Catholic ball.”
Nolan then took its first lead at 17-14 when the Vikings partially blocked a Parish punt. Emmanuel Veal caught the short attempt at the Parish 44. A few plays later and Nolan converted on fourth down when quarterback Jimmy Taylor (Cornell commit) hit Megwa on a 20-yard TD with 7:20 left to play.
The Vikings continued the onslaught on their next possession when Snider scored on an 11-yard TD run to extend the lead to 24-14 with 3:26 remaining, capping off a 6-play, 56-yard drive.
“It means the world to get a win,” Taylor said. “It’s the last time us seniors will step onto this field. I’ve been here for four years, it’s my life.”
Snider, who added a 27-yard TD run late, scored three times and gained 56 yards on 11 carries. Megwa, who is one of the top juniors in the nation and holds 35 offers, led all rushers with 110 yards on 21 attempts.
Nolan went three-and-out on the game’s opening drive.
On the next play from scrimmage, Parish QB and 4-star SMU commit Preston Stone hit a wide open Jai Moore for what appeared to be a 53-yard TD. But a 15-yard penalty negated the score and put the ball on the Nolan 20.
The Panthers couldn’t gain another yard and J’Dan Burnett (Louisiana Tech commit) sacked Stone on fourth-and-14.
Parish got on the board on its next drive when Stone hit Blake Youngblood for a 20-yard TD with 4:30 left in the first quarter.
Jeremiah Bodwin recovered a Nolan fumble and Parish turned it into points with a 6-play, 54-yard drive, capped off by Stone’s 32-yard TD pass to Christian Benson with 7:35 left before halftime.
Stone finished with 193 yards on 14 of 24 passes, and added 36 yards on 10 carries.
Williams helped the Vikings’ D hold the Panthers to just 14 points in the first half when he picked off his first pass attempt of the night with 2:17 to go. He bumped his total to five interceptions this season.
“I’m a lockdown corner. I see my opportunity, I’m going to take it,” Williams said.
Nolan edged out Parish 322-319 in total yards. Taylor threw for 163 yards on 18 of 28 passes.
“I’ve said it for a long time, there’s so much heart and soul that goes into this team,” Taylor said. “We’re known as a second-half team and we proved it tonight. But now we have to start next week, straight out of the gate.”
