Return of Lake Lambert, Josh Allen help Byrd football give Parkway first loss
The dynamic duo of Byrd football returned to the lineup Friday night and it paid off big time for the Yellow Jackets in need of a win to get back on track.
Senior running back Josh Allen and senior quarterback Lake Lambert were sidelined with injuries the past two weeks as the Jackets lost twice in District 1-5A contests.
They appeared fully healed in leading the Jackets past undefeated Parkway, 39-14, in a surprisingly lopsided victory in Parkway’s newly turfed Preston Crownover Stadium.
“It was big – very big,” Byrd coach Stacy Ballew said of having the pair on the field. “Not only because they’re great athletes, but because of their senior leadership and experience.”
It was a chippy contest with piles of personal foul penalties and the ejection of at least one Parkway player. The teams combined for 168 penalty yards nearly evenly split, and the officials had to separate players on a number of occasions.
“We were up 20 points and they were just doing things to get us to play behind the chains,” Lambert said. “But our O-line and backs did what they had to do to hold things together.”
The victory by Byrd (5-2, 2-2) was dominant from the outset against the Panthers (6-1, 3-1), the only Class 5A team in Northwest Louisiana ranked in the LSWA’s Top 10 statewide poll.
Lambert contributed 121 yards and two TDs on 16 carries, while Allen added 60 yards on 10 carries and two more scores. The Jackets rolled up 309 rushing yards against a Parkway defense that had been solid through the first six games. Although the penalty yardage was significant, neither team committed a turnover.
Byrd’s defense held one of the area’s top rushers, Jaylan White, to 63 yards on 13 carries with no touchdowns. The Panthers managed just 227 total yards and hardly touched the ball on offense in the key third quarter.
“We had the mentality of bend but don’t break,” Ballew said. “We had to account for Jaylan White on every play because he’s a great athlete. But our kids never quit. And we had a great week of practice coming into this game.”
Allen was coming back from shoulder surgery three weeks ago. He was succinct in saying how it felt to be back in the lineup.
“It felt good,” he said.
Jimmy Watson covers Shreveport-Bossier area sports. Email him at jwatson@shreveporttimes.com and follow him on Twitter @JimmyWatson6.
This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: LHSAA football: Lake Lambert, Josh Allen, Byrd give Parkway first loss
