Shorthanded Northside spoils Peabody's Homecoming with 40-34 win

By LaMar Gafford

Photo of Northside's Janathan Bonnet 

ALEXANDRIA - All week, everyone counted out Northside thanks to the aftermath of its Week 4 brawl against McKinley.

However, the Vikings rose above the adversity.

Northside, based out of Lafayette, spoiled Peabody’s Homecoming after winning on the final play, 40-34, at W.C. Davis Memorial Stadium on Saturday.

“I told my guys, ‘We need everybody to fight,’” Northside coach John Simmons said. “Those youngsters stepped up. Even though we had a couple that got hurt, we still stepped up."

Northside sophomore Janathan Bonnet scored the game-winning touchdown with 2.5 seconds left and finished with three touchdowns. Bonnet set up the final play with a 20-yard reception on fourth down to put the Vikings in the red zone.

“I just had my brothers’ backs,” Bonnet said. “I just told my coaches, ‘Just feed me. I’ve been handling the rock all game. Just feed me. I got you.’”

Bonnet's play also made Simmons' decision easier to bypass a potential game-winning field goal and go for a touchdown instead.

“I was initially going to kick the ball, but (Bonnet) came to me and said, ‘Coach, I messed up earlier, let me go get it,'" Simmons said. "I told him, ‘I don’t listen to kids, but I’m going to listen to you now. Go score,’ and that’s what he did.

"He’s a beast. He works hard, doesn’t miss practice and comes to school all the time.”

While the Vikings had 10 players suspended because of last week’s fight, they came out on fire by leaning on young players such as Bonnet and Kyron Zeno to build a 20-6 lead with a minute to go before halftime.

But Northside (2-3) was not the only ones shorthanded.

Peabody (3-2) was without starting quarterback Caleb Davidson and receiver Dartavin Depass, but they quickly countered with a kickoff return for a touchdown by T.J. Hullaby to cut the deficit to 20-12 at halftime.

The second half was a wild one, as Hullaby and running back Tijah Foster both stepped up to give Peabody the lead twice, but to only have it be short-lived thanks to a pair of Viking touchdowns.

Still, the Warhorses had a chance to win with 2:17 left after recovering a Northside fumble at the Peabody 20-yard line, but they were forced to punt.

The Vikings host Lafayette Christian next week, while Peabody will look to regroup at Neville.