On a night there were precious few stops -- a grand total of one punt attempted -- Clayton Parker came up with the biggest just in the nick of time.
The bottom line during Friday night’s Ozark Conference and season-opener between the Rolla and Springfield Parkview high school football teams at Lions Memorial Field was, for the most part, that neither team could stop the other.
However, with the Parkview Vikings marching for what could have been the tying -- or winning -- drive Parker stopped things cold with an interception.
Parker, a Bulldog senior linebacker, stepped in front of a Cory Faz pass for an interception with :31 left at the Bulldog 24 yardline, icing Rolla’s 42-35 victory.
Parker, who had been cramping up during the game, caught a laser, line-drive short pass by the Vikings’ Faz over the middle and then immediately hit the ground. After hitting the ground Parker dropped the ball, and for a while the officials thought it might have been an incomplete pass or a Parker fumble. After huddling, however, the officials ruled that the interception would stand, and Rolla was able to run out the final seconds.
“We obviously need to change the defense we play against them,” joked RHS head coach Josh Smith. “It was almost a mirror image of our game with them last year. Again, credit our kids for not hanging their heads when we were down 28-7.”
Indeed, Rolla struggled against the Vikings’ misdirection, double-wing offensive formation, where it’s extremely difficult to find which ball carrier has the football. And Parkview had just as much problem with Rolla’s option game.
Rolla fumbled twice -- once on a kickoff -- and failed to convert on the final series of the first half. Other than that the Bulldogs scored on all of their possessions, as the RHS punting team never hit the field. Parkview failed on a pair of fourth down possessions, punted once and had the Parker interception.
Other than that the Vikings scored on every possession.
Rolla had 457 yards of total offense -- 403 on the ground. Parkview countered with 449 yards of offense -- 420 rushing.
Just like last year in Springfield, Rolla had to rally past the game Vikings.
On Friday Parkview senior wingback Darin Francis scored the first of his three touchdowns at the 7:27 mark. On the following kickoff the Vikings booted the ball straight up in the air. It traveled about 12 yards and a Viking fell on it for the fumble recovery. Francis again capped a quick, 37-yard drive with a four-yard TD run and it was 14-0 with 5:15 remaining in the first period.
Rolla finally got its hands on the ball and scored on a 72-yard, 12-play drive, as senior running back Jonny Canhos scored the first of his four touchdowns on the night from three yards out.
However, Parkview returned the following kickoff 29 yards and on the first play from scrimmage Faz got loose around the right corner and was off 62 yards for a touchdown.
It was then the Bulldogs’ turn to move the ball and they did, to the Viking 17 yardline. However, a holding penalty brought the ball back and two plays later Rolla fumbled and Parkview’s Will Maxwell fell on it.
That set up Parkview’s fourth touchdown, as Francis ended a Viking six-play, 77-yard drive with a 19-yard TD run. And with 6:28 left in the first half the stunned defending Ozark Conference champion Bulldogs were down 28-7.
Rolla then went to work on the comeback, taking its next possession 63 yards for a touchdown, with senior quarterback Jake Morris hitting Parker in the left corner of the endzone for a touchdown. Senior Jason Howard added the PAT.
The Vikings then had a rare misfire on offense, as Faz fired an incomplete pass on a 4th-and-inches with :13 left and had to settle for a 28-14 halftime advantage.
The pivotal third quarter belonged to the Bulldogs, who outscored Parkview 20-0 in the quarter to take the lead.
Rolla opened the third period with a 69-yard, four-play scoring drive. Morris hit senior tight end Drew Hagni with a 35-yard pass and on the next play scored on a 30-yard QB keeper. Howard’s kick made it 28-21.
Parkview then had three consecutive plays for negative yardage and was forced into the game’s only punt.
The Bulldogs put together yet another scoring drive to tie the game, going 73 yards in seven plays. Canhos had two big cuts that left Viking defenders grasping for air on his way to a 23-yard TD run with 5:33 left in the third period. Howard’s kick then tied it 28-28.
The Vikings looked to be ready to counter but then a holding penalty bogged down their drive, and on a 4th-and-7 Parkview wingback Nick Foster was dragged down one short of the first down, giving the ball back to RHS.
That allowed Rolla the opening to take its first lead. Morris broke loose down the right sidelines for 57 yards to get to the Viking 11. Two plays later Canhos scored on a five-yard TD run. However, on the PAT attempt RHS was whistled for an equipment violation (no chin strap). That moved the ball back five yards and Howard was wide left on the PAT, leaving Rolla’s lead at 34-28 with :25 remaining in the third period.
As one would expect the Vikings regained the lead on the next series, marching 68 yards on 10 running plays. Sophomore wingback Kole Jenkins scored on an 11-yard run with 7:29 left. And Seth Shockley’s extra point gave Parkview a 35-34 edge.
Then it was Rolla’s turn. The Bulldogs countered with a 60-yard game-winning scoring drive covering 10 plays. During the drive RHS got a first down on a 4th-and-4 when Parkview jumped off-sides. Slowly RHS worked towards the endzone and finally found it on Canhos’ 15-yard scoring run. The Bulldogs went for the two-point conversion and got it when Canhos plowed in, making it 42-35 with 2:24 left.
However, RHS fans were wondering if that was too much time remaining, as the Vikings again went on the march. Parkview quickly got up field, and an eight-yard Faz pass got the ball into Rolla territory with 1:03 left and the Vikings called a timeout.
Two plays later Faz found A.J. Green with a 14-yard pass to get to the RHS 27 with :43 left.
Again Faz went to the air but this time he found Parker waiting over the middle.
After the play was ruled an interception Morris took a knee and Rolla had the wild win.
“I’m kind of glad we won and it was Week 1; I hope we won’t see that type of offense again this year,” Smith said. “Their execution was unbelievable.
“Other than one fumble in the first half and one holding call and one false start we did a lot of good things. We run the football and feel comfortable we can break off big chunks if we need to. And we know Jake can throw the ball. We had very few negative plays (on offense).”
Morris erupted for 211 rushing yards on 17 attempts and passed for 54 yards while Canhos rushed for 148 yards on 24 carries.
Francis led the balanced Viking ground game with 137 yards while fullback Blake Williams had 90 yards.
Smith feels the come-from-behind win can help his Bulldogs down the road.
“Dealing with adversity; the kids who weren’t on the field last year learned how to weather the storm and come out on top,” Smith said. “That will speak huge for our character the rest of the year.”
The Bulldogs will hit the road next Friday, traveling to Springfield to take on league foe Kickapoo (7 p.m.). Kickapoo clipped Waynesville 22-21 in its opener Friday.
