Parkway Central avoids upset, stifles North to stay unbeaten

Coming off a huge emotional win at home against Webster Groves last week, the Parkway Central Colts were looking to avoid the upset bug against Suburban South and Parkway district rival Parkway North.

Holding just a seven point lead late in the half, the Colts defense came up with a safety in the Vikings’ end zone, and on its next series running back Augie Brooks scored on a 15-yard touchdown giving Central a nine-point swing. Central’s defense did its part and the Colts posted a 23-0 victory Friday night at Parkway North.

“I was worried because we had a very emotional win last week and I was just worried about our intensity and our fire,” Parkway Central coach Mark Goldenberg said.

“I challenged our kids and I feel like they lived up to the challenge.”

Both teams struggled to move the ball early, but Parkway Central (6-0, 4-0 in Suburban South play) finally got its offense ontrack with a 73-yard march late in the first quarter. Central quarterback, Zach Lazenby, capped off the drive with a 1-yard scoring run for a 7-0 lead.

Parkway North (2-4, 1-3 in conference) had it’s best opportunity of the night go deep into Colts’ territory only to be crushed by an unexpected and ill-timed miscue.

After driving down to the Central 15, North coughed up the football and Central recovered on its own 17-yard line with 9:58 left in the first half.

The turnover was a painful reminder of the Vikings struggles in moving the ball with consistency this season.

“This a year where the wins are hard to come by and the points are hard to come by and that’s the way it goes,” Parkway North coach Bob Bunton said. “Our kids showed some great talent tonight. We just having a hard time on offense.”

Then in the final two minutes of the first half came a three-play sequence that allowed Central to gain a firm grip on the game.

Central’s Johnny Nauughton downed a punt at the North 1 with 2:55 left in the half, scored a safety, and then just two plays later the Colts made it 16-0 on a 15-yard touchdown scamper by Brooks with just 1:31 left before the break.

“Johnny Naughton just gave a heck of an effort and downs it at the one, then our defense makes a couple of plays,” Goldenberg said. “We get a safety. We get good field position and had a nice play to get us down there again. I think it was a two-play drive after, that so yeah that’s three plays and nine points. It was very, very big.”

A seven-play, 70-yard drive gave Central its final score of the night as Michael Slater scored on an 8-yard run making it 23-0 with 3:30 left in the third quarter.

That series allowed the Central defense the chance to be relentless. The Colts did not allow North near the end zone the rest of the night – posting the team’s first shutout of the season after coming close against Seckman and Parkway West in week three and week four.

“Our defense has been phenomenal all year long,” Goldenberg said. “Tonight, it just kind of showed because we put up the shutout. They’ve created offensive opportunities, and tonight they got the shutout, and I’m proud of them.”