HAYNESVILLE – Minden head coach Spencer Heard stopped short of saying this was his favorite win, but conceded it’s in the running.
After all, not many can say they’ve won at Red Franklin-Memorial Stadium.
“It’s pretty high,” Heard said. “I’m not going to lie. That was probably the most excited I’ve been since, well, awhile. It was awesome.”
Awesome, indeed.
Decoriun Brim scoreed two touchdowns for Minden (1-1), including an electric 92-yard kick return, and quarterback Seth Tyler went 5-of-8 for 95 yards and two touchdowns.
Tyler’s second touchdown throw of the night was a beauty to Patrick Heard on a post route out of the slot. Heard reeled in the pass and went into the end zone for a 36-yard score to set up Gavin Jackson’s go-ahead PAT that put the Tide in front 21-20.
Haynesville put together an ominous drive to end the game, eventually setting up for a 22-yard field goal with 10 seconds remaining in the contest.
On the snap, Minden rushed through the line and blocked a low line-drive kick. Time expired on the play and Minden’s sideline erupted at the realization of what they had just done.
“It was a wild game,” Heard said. “There was a lot of peaks and valleys as far as momentum swings and those kinds of things. I think this is going to help all our guys as far as confidence goes. Brim had a big game with the return for touchdown; Seth made some great throws; we had a couple of drives killed by penalties; late in the game, we were getting some stops. They got us there at the end with a naked bootleg by the quarterback to get down in our end. Kentravion Rodgers made a big play on that last drive against a halfback pass. He must have covered 20-yards while the ball was in the air.”
It was one of many big plays that helped the Tide overcome the fact that Haynesville outgained them 324 to 157.
Perhaps no play was as big as Brim’s kick return TD that answered a Golden Tornado touchdown.
“He really stepped up his game and made some explosive plays,” Heard said. “We always knew he could do that.”
The Minden defense showed their grit in a bounce back performance, forcing turnovers and tightening up when they had to against a larger Haynesville front.
“I’m proud of how they hung in there and played tough,” Heard said. “I still think there is tons of room for improvement. We had a really awesome week of practice last week. I think that’s they key is keeping that up in practice and putting them in as many game-type things as we can to get them used to the pressure situations.”
Special teams proved to be the tipping point in this tilt. Minden went 3-of-3 on PAT’s, had a return TD and averaged nearly 7 more yards per punt than Haynesville.
“It was good special teams, and we knew it would have to be,” Heard said.
Minden travels to Springhill Friday for a Webster Parish Super Bowl matchup with the North Webster Knights.
