University High pulls away in second half to down Parkview Baptist, 35-7

BATON ROUGE – University Lab used their power run game Friday night to rush past district rival Parkview Baptist, 35-7.

“When were able to rush the football,it opens everything up” Said University head coach Andy Martin. “We’re getting 10 yards a pop. the o-Line is really starting to come together. There are a bunch of young guys out there and they’re getting better every week.”

University (7-3 5-1) led 13-7 at the half before breaking open the game in the third quarter. A six-play, 66-yard drive was capped off with 8-yard scoring pass to Seth Gale from Blake Abney, who had three touchdowns tosses on the night. Jaden Ausberry rushed for the ensuing two-point conversion, giving the Cubs a 21-7 advantage.

In less than a minute in the final stanza, U-High scored twice to take complete control at Parkview Baptist (8-2, 4-2).

Ausberry pounded in a touchdown from a yard out to cap an 11-play, 57-yard drive which took 4:52 off the clock.

On the next possession, Parkview Baptist junior Abram Johnston was intercepted by Tony Burns who returned the pick to the Eagles 5-yard line. Abney then hooked up with Grandville Anderson for the second time to cap an impressive second half on the road for the Cubs.

“We gotta get back to work and figure out what went wrong for us tonight” said Parkview Baptist coach Stefan LeFors “and try not to repeat those same mistakes over and over again.

Abney had given U-High an early lead when he hooked up with Anderson from 18 yards out but Parkview Baptist tied the score in the first quarter on a 10-play, 82-yard march. Johnston’s 25-yard touchdown pass to Byron Stewart evened the score at 7-7.

The Cubs took the halftime advantage thanks to a 10-play, 74-yard march finished off when Keylan Mosses scored on a two-yeard run.

Mosses paced U-High’s persistent rush attack with 108 yards on 13 rushes before leaving at the end of third with a leg injury.

With the victory, U-High likely edged out Parkview for the No. 8 seed and final first round bye in the Select Division III playoffs. The LHSAA will release the brackets Sunday morning.