The Airline Vikings held off the Southside Sharks 36-35 in the second round of the non-select Division I playoffs Friday night at Airline Stadium.
Airline (10-1), the No. 4 seed, will host No. 21 Mandeville in the quarterfinals Friday. Mandeville (8-4) upset No. 5 St. Amant 42-21.
Two-point conversions loomed large in the game.
The Vikings were successful on the only one they attempted. The Sharks converted one-of-two. It was the one they didn’t Airline fans won’t soon forget.
After Southside scored on a 95-yard drive with 1:56 left in the game, Southside Head Coach Josh Fontenot elected to go for two. The Vikings stopped a run off the left side well short of the end zone.
Airline recovered the onside kick. On second down from midfield, Tre’Von Jackson ran 16 yards. Quarterback Ben Taylor kneeled twice and the celebration began.
Airline is in the semifinals for the first time since 2019. Southside closed its season 8-4.
Airline’s two-point conversion came after a 31-yard touchdown pass Taylor to Kenny Darby Kenny Darby in the second quarter cut a 21-14 Southside lead to 21-20.
The Sharks were penalized half the distance to the goal before the Vikings snapped the ball for the extra-point kick.
Jarvis Davis Jr. ran into the end zone and the Vikings led 22-21.
Of course, the conversions, including four PAT kicks by Preston Doerner, were not the only key aspects of the game.
It was basically a tale of two halves.
Airline rallied from deficits of 14-7 and 21-14 and led 29-21 at the half. The Vikings’ final TD of the half came on a 34-yard pass from Jackson, who caught a pass from Tay behind the line, to Darby.
The Vikings defense came up big at the end of the half.
Southside had a first-and-goal at the 9. On fourth-and-goal from the 3, Airline stopped a run at the 2. That was the final play.
Airline’s high-powered offense wasn’t in the field much in the second half.
The Vikings drove 50 yards for a touchdown after a good return on the opening kickoff. Taylor scored his first touchdown of the season on a 3-yard run. Doerner’s PAT made it 36-21.
Southside ate up the rest of the quarter with an 80-yard touchdown drive. The Sharks scored on the second play of the fourth quarter. A two-point conversion made it a seven-point game.
Airline’s next possession ended with a fumble after a long pass reception. The Sharks took over at their 5.
Aided by a 48-yard pass, Southside completed the 95-yard drive.
Airline gave up a lot of yards, most of it on the ground. But with the game potentially on the line, the defense came through and stopped the two-point conversion.
Taylor completed 23-of-26 passes for 295 yards and two touchdowns. His one interception was returned 62 yards to the 5, setting up Southside’s second touchdown early in the second quarter.
Davis had nine catches for 99 yards. He scored Airline’s second touchdown on a 1-yard run, capping a 75-yard drive.
Darby had six catches for 95 yards and two touchdowns. He scored the Vikings’ first touchdown on their first possession on a 30-yard catch.
Bryson Broom had three catches for 43 yards.
Patterson had three catches for 46 yards and also played a key role on defense.
Jackson had rushed six times for 46 yards and had three catches for 26 yards. He also played defense.