Parker’s retirement announcement follows SHS win

Published 8:30 am Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Southampton High School head coach Littleton Parker went out on a high note Monday night as the Indians beat Prince Edward 42-20 in a Southside District contest.

The announcement was made directly following Senior Night that Parker will retire from his post after 22 years. The veteran coach declined to comment on the announcement. He will remain as assistant principal and athletic director.

The Indians started fast as Jaron White returned the opening kickoff 73 yards for a touchdown. The extra point by Luis Lino was good, giving the Indians a 7-0 lead with a mere 13 seconds run off the clock.

“For being out of practice five days (due to heavy rains), I felt that the boys played well,” Parker said of the victorious end to a 4-6 season.

On their first possession, the Eagles took the ball to the Indians’ 12-yard line but threw an incomplete pass on fourth-and-6.

Three plays later, Southampton’s Andre’ Rawls broke a tackle and continued up the middle of the field for a 79-yard touchdown run. The Indians went up 14-0 on the successful extra point by Lino with 1:50 left in the first quarter.

The Eagles answered with a 44-yard touchdown run by Alonzo Hurt to cap a 9-play, 94-yard drive. The two-point conversion failed, leaving the score 14-6 with 4:23 left in the second quarter.

The Eagles’ next drive ended when they were forced to punt on fourth-and-20 from their own 2-yard line. The punt went 28 yards and was returned 10 yards by Rawls to the Prince Edward 20. After three straight incomplete passes by Billy Nixon set up a fourth-and-10, the quarterback ran 11 yards for a first down. After a loss of 5 yards on a screen pass, Nixon found White for a 14-yard scoring strike. The Indians, after Lino’s extra point, led 21-6 at halftime.

Southampton scored two plays into the third quarter on Rawls’ 45-yard touchdown run. Lino’s extra point put the home team up 28-6 with 7:57 left in the third quarter.

With 5:37 left in the third quarter, Nixon hit Karon Evans on a 28-yard touchdown pass. Lino’s extra point made is 35-6.

Saiquan Mason’s 15-yard touchdown run to cap a 4-play, 55-yard drive finished SHS’ scoring with 9:18 left in the game.

Prince Edward got two late touchdowns: an 11-yard run by Hurt and a 4-yard run by Terez Morton. After Morton’s touchdown, Jeremy Walker tossed to Noah Bowman for the two-point conversion.

“We tried to play everybody tonight,” Parker said. “It was a good one. We could have played a little bit better, but we’ll take the victory and move on.”

Rawls led the Indians with 140 yards rushing, and Mason added 98.

Nixon completed 5-of-12 passes for 83 yards.

SHS outgained the visitors 341-257 in total offense.

Prince Edward, which was led by Hurt’s 187 rushing yards on 28 carries, finished the season 1-9.