St. Paul’s battles past Northshore in district opener, 23-17

COVINGTON, La. – Northshore kept it close, but St. Paul’s managed to stay half a step ahead in a 23-17 victory in the District 6-5A opener in Hunter Stadium.

A stellar defensive effort has headlined by a second half interception by Wolves defensive back Conrad Robinson. The turnover set up a 10-play, 79-yard drive that gave St. Paul’s the lead for good, capped off by Corey Williamson’s three-yard touchdown run.

Robby Ferrante added a 23-yard field to cap the scoring.

“We knew that they were going to be a run-first team, and with four starters out on defense, we had to focus on stopping the run,” Robinson said. “The team stayed focused and played the entire game.”

Northshore had one more shot to take home a win, but the Wolves forced a turnover on downs with a minute remaining.

Williamson had a break out game with 183 yards on 17 carries and a score totaling 81 yards in his first three games.

The game got off to an inauspicious start after a 36-yard field goal by Northshore kicker Andrew Stein when the Wolves found themselves pinned up near the goal line at their two. Quarterback Johntae McDowell tried to retrieve a bad snap and get rid of the ball, but stepped outside the end zone for a safety, giving the Panthers a 5-0 lead with three minutes left in the first quarter.

The next time they got the ball, St. Paul’s (2-2, 1-0) didn’t waste any time. Williamson rambled for 58 yards on the first play, and McDowell found Grant Grosch open soon after for a 29-yard touchdown. The Wolves went for two, but the pass failed to leave them up 6-5.

McDowell was 10-for-19 with one interception and 150 yards passing.

“If anything, we couldn’t get things rolling offensively, and that was supposed to be our strength going into this game,” St. Paul’s coach Ken Sears said. “But, the guys who stepped in and played on defense really responded, and that’s going to make us stronger as a team.”

At the time when they needed it, St. Paul’s came up with a defensive stop on the Panthers’ next possession at the opposite end of the field, getting the ball at the Panthers’ 29. Six plays later, McDowell connected with wide receiver Will Robinson for a 21-yard touchdown. Ferrante made the extra point for a 13-5 lead.

In the closing minute of the second half, the Panther defense intercepted McDowell at the St. Paul’s 34, and Harris finished off the drive with a one-yard quarterback sneek up the middle with less than 10 seconds left. St. Paul’s hung on to a 13-11 lead as a result of a missed conversion run by Northshore.

The Panthers proved they were up to the challenge as they stopped the Wolves on their first possession of the second half, and answered with a seven-play, 68-yard scoring drive, punctuated by a six-yard run from Terius Crawford, moving ahead, 17-3 midway through the third quarter.

“We’re playing hard, but we’ve got to find a way to finish,” Northshore coach Mike Bourg said. “We’ve got to get them over the hump, and that’s on me.”

Northshore (2-2, 0-1) travels next Friday to Fontainebleau while St. Paul’s will visit Hammond.

Individual Stats

St. Paul’s
Rushing – Corey Williamson, 17-170, TD; Johntae McDowell, 5-18; Mason Impostato, 3-17; Jack Mashburn, 2-11
Receiving – Grant Grosch, 2-52, TD; Corey Williamson, 3-34; Jack Mashburn, 3-29; Will Robinson, 1-29, TD; Nick Stanton, 1-7
Passing – Johntae McDowell, 10-19-1-160, TD

Northshore
Rushing – Branyan Bounds, 18-122; Dwayne Jones, 9-61; Terius Crawford, 4-54, TD; Walter Harris, 7-28, TD
Receiving – Daniel Cantrell, 1-29; Marcus Clay, 3-18; Cade Fleetwood, 1-14; Ethan Swan, 2-8
Passing – Walter Harris, 8-18-0-77