Airline uses huge third-quarter outburst to run past North DeSoto in season opener
BOSSIER CITY, Louisiana - It was expected to be an offensive show in Friday's season-opening game between North DeSoto and Airline.
With good reason, as both the Griffins and Vikings returned two of the premier quarterbacks in Northwest Louisiana in North DeSoto sophomore Luke Delafield and Airline junior Ben Taylor.
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After halftime, though, one team was really finding the end zone - the Vikings.
Trailing 28-14 entering the second half, the Vikings seized momentum by scoring five straight touchdowns in the third quarter, taking advantage of three forced turnovers and a special-teams miscue as they eventually downed the Griffins, 53-42, at M.D. Ray Field.
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Airline (1-0) got its first momentum shift right after halftime as linebacker Jayden Gladney intercepted a pass. That led to Taylor finding Tre' Jackson for a 22-yard TD pass, getting the Vikings within seven.
Then on the ensuing kickoff, the ball took a huge bounce before landing in the hands of Airline's David Allen. Five plays later, the Vikings tied it up at 28-all on a 2-yard TD run from Jarvis Davis Jr.
Gladney got his second interception on the night on the next series. That set up the Vikings' first lead, as Taylor threw a 9-yard sideline route to Bryson Broom, giving Airline a 34-28 advantage.
After the Griffins (0-1) reached inside the Airline 15 before turning it over on downs, the Vikings struck again, with a little trickery. Jackson threw a 71-yard halfback pass to receiver Kenny Darby, who shook off a pair of tacklers to finish things off, making it 40-28, Vikings.
Moments later, Airline's Kam Wilson recovered a fumble. That led to another TD, as Davis ran it in from 14 yards, extending the lead to 47-28 with 2:21 left in the third.
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The Vikings then made it six straight TDs when Taylor had his fourth scoring pass on the night, a 6-yard strike to Broom as Airline built a 53-28 lead with less than 10 minutes remaining.
Delafield threw five TD passes of his own, to four different receivers. He found Landry Wyatt from 32 yards out, Cole Cory for a 39-yard play that gave the Griffins a 21-7 lead and then a 25-yard strike to Tucker Brewster with less than a second remaining in the first half, which put North DeSoto up 14 again, 28-14.
The Griffins broke the Vikings' 39-0 run when Delafield connected with Eli Procell from 53 yards out with more than nine minutes left. Delafield found Procell again for a 24-yard TD, getting North DeSoto within 11 with 5:12 left.
After falling behind 14-0 early in the second quarter, Airline got its first touchdown on a 3-yard run by Davis. Taylor had his first TD pass late in the first half, a 23-yard strike to Darby.
Photo of Airline WR Bryson Broom by Stan Carpenter, Shreveport Times
-- Buck Ringgold | buck@scorebooklive.com | @SBLiveLA
