MONROE — The running back matchup was a focal point of Franklin Parish and Neville.
The Class 4A No. 2 Tigers knew they were in for a challenge when the No. 5 Patriots entered Mickey McCarty Field on Friday, Oct. 16. Franklin Parish’s senior running back, LSU commit Trey Martin, is chipping away at his school’s single-season rushing record with 1,322 yards and 23 touchdowns prior to the Tigers contest.
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Neville also has a standout in the backfield in junior Jarvis Blackston. Martin ran for 179 yards and two touchdowns against the Tigers, but Blackston’s 112 rushing yards and three scores helped make a difference as Neville defeated Franklin Parish 49-24.
“(Martin) is as advertised, and Jarvis Blackston is also,” Franklin Parish coach Adrian Burnette said. “Both of those guys are friends. I know they have a mutual respect, and they battled each other. I respect both sides, and they do, too.”
Despite the Patriots missing extra points and two-point conversions, they kept things close against the Tigers for much of the contest. Blackston’s 33-yard rushing touchdown during the fourth quarter was the insurance Neville needed in its hard-fought District 2-4A victory.
“You’re just kind of getting tripped up here and there, but at the end of the night, he really hit it and he did Jarvis,” Neville coach Mike Collins said of Blackston getting the hat trick. “He’s always better in the second half. He’s always better in the third and fourth quarter, and he certainly was (Friday).”
“I just had to make a big play for my team,” Blackston added. “They needed me. I just got to do what I usually do, make plays.”
After losing its opener at Ruston, Neville (5-1) has rolled with five consecutive victories. It pitched two home shutouts during the win streak against Ouachita and West Monroe and picked up massive victories against reigning Division I select quarterfinalists Evangel and Alexandria.
Togetherness has been a key component for the Tigers this fall. Not only is Blackston shining as Neville’s lead back, the defense continues to come up with key stops and takeaways.
The Tigers scored two defensive touchdowns against Franklin Parish (5-2). Sophomore C.J. Goins continues to be a force on both sides of the ball with an interception and scoop-and-score against the Patriots. Senior Kayden Jones’ pick-six near the end of the game was icing on the cake for Neville.
“We couldn’t ask for more. If we can get one defensive touchdown, hey, we’ll take it,” Tigers senior quarterback and ULM commit Parker Robinson said. “The defense has produced turnovers and points all year for us to even give us a chance in these games. Just them doing that is super, super special.
"They’ve had (turnovers) every single game, and we wouldn’t have put up 49 points (against Franklin Parish) without them and been in the position we were without them. Shout out to the defense, for sure.”
Neville continues District 2-4A play next Thursday at West Ouachita (1-6). The Chiefs fell in a 54-51 thriller at Wossman and have lost three consecutive games for the second time this season.
“A lot of penalties, we need to get that straight, missing catches, missing blocks,” Jones said. “It’s a lot of stuff you still have to correct after a big win. Nothing is going to be perfect.”
After years of playing in District 2-5A, Neville enjoys the opportunities of playing in a new district and seeing new opponents. The two-time reigning semifinalist Tigers hope the competition they face in District 2-4A will continue shaping them in making another deep postseason run.
“From here on out, I only think we can stop us,” Robinson said. “We’ve got athletes. We’ve got players. We’ve got size. We’ve got great coaching. And if we can put that all together, I think we’ve got a really, really special team.”
This article originally appeared on Monroe News-Star: 'We couldn't ask for more': Neville shines in Franklin Parish victory