By Matt Turer (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Parkview’s defense had been gashed all night by Sean Sample and Nixa’s running game. Until it mattered most.
After the Vikings went ahead on the first possession of overtime on a Blake Delacruz touchdown, Sample matched with a nine-yard run. Nixa went for the win, lining up Sample and his 280 rush yards in the wildcat.
Parkview’s defense swarmed, meeting the big senior at the one-yard line in what was one of the biggest plays in recent program history and sending the Vikings sideline into a frenzy.
Blake Delacruz ran for 185 yards and two touchdowns, Tyrone Newburn caught three touchdowns, Trevor Boice threw for 268 yards, and when the final tackle was made, the scoreboard flashed a 42-41 final in a game that sent Parkview to its first district championship since 2014.
“I’m pretty much speechless right now,” Parkview head coach Ben Dougherty said. “If [Nixa] coach [Richard] Rehagen hadn’t [gone for two] then I would’ve done it the next overtime. I’m doing fantastic right now. It’s such a huge win for the school. This feels like it’s going to be a really special year for Parkview athletics, and now we have a chance to win our first district championship since 1995.”
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Dougherty was speechless, and Nixa was in disbelief after Sample completing the conversion almost seemed destined to those in attendance.
“We thought we were gonna get in,” Rehagen said. “Put our guy behind our line and go, and he didn’t get in. Their kid got him, and that’s the way it goes.”
Trailing 35-28 in the fourth quarter, Boice responded with his best drive of the night by completing all five pass attempts for 47 yards. That effort eventually set up Delacruz for a 12-yard touchdown with 7:19 to play.
“I was just worried about moving the ball as much as we could,” Delacruz said. “The mentality in the locker room [after Nixa tied it up 21-21] was it’s 0-0. Let’s take care of the ball. Let’s go down the field and score.”
Nixa and Parkview both ended drives with turnovers in the game’s final seven minutes. Parkview appeared ready to go ahead late before Boice fumbled at Nixa’s five-yard line with 1:19 to play.
“I’m so glad our kids rose up and fought that adversity,” Dougherty said. “I thought for a minute we were going to run away with it. But to give that up and then fight back…crazy, crazy game.”
Boice finished 17 of 23, connecting with Newburn for two of his touchdowns but also throwing three interceptions. Sample caught two of those interceptions.
Delacruz carried the ball 26 times and set Parkview’s all-time career touchdown mark with his go-ahead overtime scamper. He also threw a touchdown pass in the first half that put the Vikings ahead two scores.
The Vikings led 21-7 in the second quarter before Nixa executed back-to-back scoring drives of 79 yards and 57 yards in the final 7:23 of the half. Both drives ended in Potts connecting with Lukas Roeman.
Nixa took its first lead after Sample found the endzone on the first drive of the third quarter, putting the Eagles up 28-21.
“As a coach this game was a lot of fun,” Rehagen said. “Two teams just slugging it out and going back and forth. We were in a bad spot in the second quarter. We’re down two scores. They’re across our 50. We get it tied at half. So proud of them. Kids worked so hard all year.”
Reid Potts completed 8 of 11 passes for 115 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
Parkview outgained Nixa 558-471.
SCORING
NHS 7 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 6 | — 41
PHS 14 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | — 42
1ST QUARTER
PHS — TD — 9:41 — Tyrone Newburn 21 Yd pass from Trevor Boice (PAT Good) — 7-0 PHS
NHS — TD — 7:16 — Alex Wentz 8 Yd pass from Reid Potts (PAT Good) — 7-7
PHS — TD — 4:27 — Tyrone Newburn 40 Yd pass from Trevor Boice (PAT Good) — 14-7 PHS
2ND QUARTER
PHS — TD — 11:00 — Tyrone Newburn 28 Yd pass from Blake Delacruz (PAT Good) — 21-7 PHS
OHS — TD — 1:10 — Lukas Roemen 8 Yd pass from Reid Potts (PAT Good) — 21-14 PHS
OHS — TD — 0:03 — Lukas Roeman 31 Yd pass from Reid Potts (PAT Good) — 21-21
3RD QUARTER
NHS — TD — 9:35 — Sean Sample 9 Yd run (PAT Good) — 28-21 NHS
PHS — TD — 7:34 — Jevin Huddleston 21 Yd pass from Trevor Boice (PAT Good) — 28-28
NHS — TD — 3:20 — Sean Sample 9 Yd run (PAT Good) — 35-28 NHS
4TH QUARTER
PHS — TD — 7:19 — Blake Delacruz 12 Yd run (PAT Good) — 35-35
OVERTIME
PHS — TD — 0:00 — Blake Delacruz 11 Yd run (PAT Good) — 42-35 PHS
OHS — TD — 0:00 — Sean Sample 8 Yd run (2-PT Attempt Fails) — 42-41 PHS
