Oakville Falls to Parkway South in Defensive Struggle

It was only appropriate that a defensive touchdown proved to be the difference Friday night as Parkway South defeated Oakville 12-6 to dampen the 2011 Tiger Homecoming.

Parkway South defensive back Terrell Bland intercepted an Andy Oliver pass and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown with 5:34 to go in the fourth quarter to give the Patriots a 12-0 lead.

Oakville would score its only touchdown of the game a minute and a half later as Oliver hit Jaron Henderson with a 38-yard touchdown pass.

The Tiger defense, as it had throughout the game, stiffened and got the ball back to the offense.

But Parkway South, which has allowed only 12 points in its three games this season, would stymie the Tiger offense.

"The defense was just on the field too much tonight," Oakville coach Arlee Conners said. "The offense just never was able to get into a good rhythm. We came into the game hoping to establish the running game but we never were able to do that. That was disappointing.

"Parkway South played well on defense but we did not do our part in executing our assignments."

The Patriots had a chance to put the game away in the first half as they dominated play. Parkway South had the ball in the red zone four times in the half and could come away with just six points.

They missed a pair of field goals and were also hindered by numerous penalties. That, coupled with a stout Tiger defense kept Oakville in the game.

The only score of the first half came on a 12-yard run by Patriot quarterback Eric Laurent with 6:11 to play in the second quarter.

Parkway South recovered a pooch kick to open the second half and advanced to the red zone for the fifth time, and four the fourth time, came away with no points.

It got so bad for the Patriots that at one point in the second half they had a fourth-and-56 on their own 3-yard-line. Oakville got the ball on the Parkway South 31 but could not capitalize.

Bland had the play of the game with his interception midway through the fourth quarter.

"I saw the quarterback and thought he was going to throw it short," Bland said. "I went underneath No. 18 (Jaron Henderson), got the pick and just kept on running."

Henderson would get his less than two minutes later as he was wide open deep for what proved to be the only Tiger score of the game.

"The defense made some stops when we needed to, but there were also some blown assignments and they were just out there too long," Conners said.

Parkway South improved to 3-0 on the season.

"Last year we started 2-0 and lost this game against Oakville at home," Patriot coach Travis Blevins said. "This was a good win against a dangerous team who has a couple of athletes as good as we will see this year.

"We had a lot of adversity tonight with injuries and penalties and such. But we were able to fight through it. These were the types of games in the past where we were not on the right side of the scoreboard."