| Current Poll |
Are you for armed guards at schools?
View Results
|
|
Story Archives: Vikings win in overtime
- 2013 - 285 articles
- 2012 - 856 articles
- December 2012 - 55 articles
- November 2012 - 87 articles
- October 2012 - 93 articles
- September 2012 - 80 articles
- August 2012 - 109 articles
- July 2012 - 71 articles
- June 2012 - 68 articles
- May 2012 - 72 articles
- May 31st, 2012 (Thursday) - 7 articles
- May 30th, 2012 (Wednesday) - 8 articles
- May 25th, 2012 (Friday) - 1 articles
- May 23rd, 2012 (Wednesday) - 13 articles
- May 17th, 2012 (Thursday) - 6 articles
- May 16th, 2012 (Wednesday) - 9 articles
- May 10th, 2012 (Thursday) - 6 articles
- May 9th, 2012 (Wednesday) - 11 articles
- May 2nd, 2012 (Wednesday) - 10 articles
- May 1st, 2012 (Tuesday) - 1 articles
- April 2012 - 55 articles
- March 2012 - 59 articles
- February 2012 - 66 articles
- January 2012 - 41 articles
- 2011 - 635 articles
- 2010 - 1276 articles
- 2009 - 1591 articles
- 2008 - 1763 articles
|
Vikings win in overtime
This is the second in a 30-part series on the top football games played in Concordia Parish.
In 1993, the Louisiana High School Athletic Association adopted the overtime rule for the regular season, having each team start at the opponents' 10-yard line until the tie was broken.
On October 4, 1996, Concordia Parish football fans found out how exciting this new tiebreaker rule was as Vidalia and Ferriday were tied 12-12 at the end of four quarters at Melz Field.
Vidalia entered the game with a 3-1 record, coming off a 36-7 win over Tioga.
Ferriday entered the game with a 4-0 record, coming off a 13-6 win over Wilkinson County in rainy conditions that saw Sterry Leonard return a punt 12 yards for a touchdown.
"There was a lot of talking before the game," said former Viking quarterback Gregg Johnson. "It was a big game. There were so many people there, it was unreal."
And nobody left their seat until the very end, when VIdalia scored on its first possession after stopping Ferriday on four downs from the Viking 10-yard line to earn the win.
"If it had been held in the Roman Coliseum, the Romans would have spared us both," said Vidalia coach Dee Faircloth. "It was that good a ball game. It was a classic. There are people who have followed football around here for 40 years who said it was the best football game they've seen."
"It was as good a football game as has been played around here in a while," said Ferriday head football coach Cordell Bailey. "A defeat is much easier to take when you lose to a quality team like Vidalia."
Bailey's son, Adrian, was a sophomore quarterback for the Trojans.
"That was a hard fought battle from both teams from the coin toss to the final whistle," Adrian said. "Games like that make you grow up fast. Both teams left every thing they had on the field that night. It was my very first overtime game. When they scored it was hard leaving the field. A play here or a play there and we could have won that night. But that's the game of football. It wasn't meant to be. They were the better team that night."
Vidalia scored first as Eric Whitley blocked a Ferriday punt and Glen Donald fell on it in the end zone to give the Vikings a 6-0 lead.
"I remember feeling like I was to quick for their big offensive linemen to block me," Donald said. "I was at left defensive end and with guys playing behind me such as Eric Whitley, Prentis Jenkins and Gregg Johnson I was able to pin my ears back. I just go hard every play. Coach used to tell me that all the time, 'Contain the edge, don't let anyone run outside of you, and pin your ears back.' That allowed me to just play as hard and fast as I could. Fortunately, I was able to make a big play in one of our biggest games."
With just over a minute remaining in the first half, Bailey connected with Kerry Collier on a 68-yard TD pass play to tie the game at 6-6.
Early in the fourth quarter, Robert James Lee broke loose on a 64-yard dive play to give Ferriday a 12-6 advantage.
Vidalia fumbled the ball away on their next possession, but Vidalia's defense held, giving the Vikings one more chance.
Johnson led Vidalia down the field on the final Viking drive of regulation, hitting Brandon Cade on a 34-yard pass play down the sideline.
"When we hit that pass, everything changed," Johnson said. "I knew we were going to tie it up then and end up winning it."
With 39 seconds remaining on the clock, Johnson passed to Derrick Collins for nine yards to tied the game at 12-12.
But the point-after kick was wide, forcing the game into overtime.
In overtime, Ferriday got the ball first and Lee was stopped on first down, and the next three plays were incomplete passes.
Faircloth then went to his "Refrigerator" offense, putting 5-11, 225-pound senior llneman Eric Whitley in the backfield.
Senior Koby Butler followed Whitley on two straight carries, the final covering four yards into the end zone for the win.
Donald missed the extra point.
"I think I hit a band member with that kick," he said. "Thank goodness we won."
"I always loved playing against Ferriday," Donald said. It is a great rivalry game every year."
"That was definitely my most memorable game as a quarterback," Johnson said. "Anytime you are down with a few minutes left on the clock and come back and win, it's something you never forget." |
|
| Frank Morris Murder Series |
|
|
E-mail Story
Print Story
