Early deficit too much for children – American Press

KIDS – No. 4 Kinder almost fought back from a big early deficit Friday night, but reigning state champion No. 5 Union Parish held off the rally to win 44-14 in the Nonselect Division III quarterfinals.

For Kinder (9:3), the winning streak of five games came to an end. It was the Yellow Jackets’ first quarterfinal appearance since 2020. Union Parish (9-4) advanced to the semifinals for the sixth straight year.

“I thought we fought really hard there for a while,” said Kinder head coach Justin Reed. “And we tried our best and there were a few mishaps at the end, but that happens in games like this.”

“So grateful for our seniors and the entire team in general and very proud of them.”

After trailing 21-0, Kinder got things going with a great heads-up play from wide receiver Brandon Perkins. After receiving a short pass from Isaiah Thomas, Perkins threw the ball to lineman Paxton Pierotti, who ran the final 14 yards to the end zone.

Kinder kept the momentum going, forcing Union Parish to punt and opening the second quarter with a huge 64-yard run from senior running back Logan Lebeouf, who finished the game with 174 yards on 22 carries.

On the ensuing kickoff, senior Bryson Bowring recovered a Union Parish fumble. But the Yellow Jackets’ chances of tying the game failed in the red zone and they turned the ball over on downs. Kinder never regained that spark as the Farmers scored 23 unanswered points.

“We saw a little bit of momentum there at the end of the first quarter and the beginning of the second quarter. And then we had the fumble on the kickoff that gave us a little jolt there. And then not scoring there kind of hurt us and it took some momentum away from us. But credit goes to her defense. They did a good job against us all evening and are definitely a strong opponent. They are a really good football team. And I think that says more about the game than our lack of execution.”

Union Parish’s running game proved difficult to stop, as the Farmers scored all four touchdowns in the first half, including three from Tyquereis Wilson. His biggest was an 82-yarder with 7:10 remaining in the first quarter for a 14-0 lead after an 83-yarder was called back for a holding penalty. Wilson finished the game with 148 yards on 15 carries.

Derrick Dew scored on a 45-yard run in the first quarter and Union Parish quarterback Braxton Patterson added a 43-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. The Farmers ran for 281 yards and had 412 yards of total offense.

“They run the ball well,” Reed said. “They have good defenders and a good offensive line. It’s hard to stop them for four quarters. They are a really physical team.”