Donavin Newsom reminded everybody Friday night what the Parkway North football team has been missing all season and why the University of Missouri recruited his talents.
Like a pinball bouncing off objects and racking up points, Newsom was bouncing off of and spinning away from would-be tacklers on the way to a 147-yard, three-touchdown night as North beat visiting Chaminade 45-31 in a Class 5 District 2 game.
“It felt good,” said Newsom, who missed a month and had been slowed during his rehab process following surgery to repair a torn meniscus.
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“It’s big,” Parkway North coach Bob Bunton said of having a healthy Newsom. “He was out a month and we don’t want to use that as an excuse, but we missed him. He’s given all that he’s had.”
Jovonte Suber, who also had a big night, got things going with a 33-yard return of the opening kickoff. Suber had more than 220 all-purpose yards and a touchdown.
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“Jovonte’s been doing that for us all year, but that’s a tribute to our kids,” Bunton said. “We were down after losing Homecoming…so to come out and do this on special teams…when you play well on special teams, that means your kids are still in it. That’s refreshing and great to see.”
On the first play from scrimmage North took to the air with Andy Huss connecting with Michael Bozarth for a 9-yard pass. Following an incompletion, Chaminade’s Justin Johnson stopped Suber in the backfield on consecutive plays to force a turnover on downs.
Chaminade (3-5) used the short field to drive down for a 31-yard Thomas Martin field goal. The score remained 3-0 until Newsom’s 25-yard punt return that had him bouncing off and spinning out of tackles at the end of the first quarter to set up his own 6-yard touchdown early in the second.
Newsom and Johnathan Little later helped spring Suber on an 84-yard punt return with a pair of pancake blocks. Suber spun out of the initial tackle attempt, nearly fell, regained his footing and then followed Newsom down the sideline as Little was falling on top of his defender.
“We let their kids make big plays,” said Chaminade coach Doug Taylor. “Special teams killed us. They took advantage of that and we couldn’t get back in it until it was too late.”
Chaminade’s Dominique Bobo fumbled on the ensuing drive to give the Vikings (5-4) possession at the Red Devils 27-yard line. That led to a 19-yard Newsom run on fourth-and-2.
The Devils finally got into the end zone, thanks to some tough running from Brandon Minor. The 6-2, 235-pound junior totaled 48 rushing yards on a drive that ended in a 3-yard Minor plunge with 51 seconds remaining in the half.
The momentum didn’t last long as Suber returned the ensuing kickoff back 77 yards to set up a 29-yard Bozarth field goal.
On North’s first offensive play of the second half, Newsom took the direct snap and bolted 60 yards to paydirt.
“The play was designed to go outside, but the way the offensive line was blocking, there was just a huge gap,” Newsom said.
Chaminade quarterback Logan Hutson, who has struggled with accuracy all season, was then picked off by North’s Chris Collins, who returned the interception 27 yards to give the Vikings a 38-10 lead. Hutson, who entered with a 41-percent completion rate, finished Friday night 16-of-28 for 232 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He was also sacked three times, twice by North’s Phillip Posley.
“We threw the ball well (in the second half), but obviously they were playing a little differently, in a prevent that gave us some shots we didn’t have early in the game,” Taylor said.
Hutson’s favorite target on the night was Matthew Greer, who caught eight passes for 135 yards – including a diving 19-yard touchdown catch with 6:27 remaining in the game. Hutson also added a 10-yard touchdown pass to Thomas Martin with less than two minutes remaining.
With Parkway Central beating Webster Groves Friday night, Taylor's squad was eliminated from postseason play. The Red Devils play host to Central next week.
“We’ve just got to go take it to Central as hard as we can and send our seniors out with a good one,” Taylor said. “We’re so banged up right now; I just hope we’ve got 11 guys to play both ways.”
The Vikings can claim a playoff berth with a road victory over the Statesmen next week.
“We are who we are, we’re 5-4, but we’re in position to make the playoffs in Week 10,” Bunton said. “The way this season’s gone, we will absolutely take it.
“If you can have a chance in Week 10 in this stupid system, that’s all you can ask for.”
CLASS 5 DISTRICT 2
PARKWAY NORTH 45, CHAMINADE 24
SCORING
First Quarter
C – Thomas Martin 31-yard FG 6:57
Second Quarter
PN – Donavin Newsom 6-yard run (Michael Bozarth kick) 9:49
PN – Jovonte Suber 84-yard punt return (Bozarth kick) 8:11
PN – Newsom 29-yard run (Bozarth kick) 5:09
C – Brandon Minor 3-yard run (Martin kick) 0:51
PN – Bozarth 29-yard FG 0:17
Third Quarter
PN – Newsom 60-yard run (Bozarth kick) 8:35
PN – Chris Collins 27-yard INT return (Bozarth kick) 8:09
Fourth Quarter
C – Peter Hull 9-yard run (Martin kick) 10:05
PN – Newsom 40-yard run (Bozarth kick) 9:04
C – Matthew Greer 19-yard pass from Logan Hutson (Martin kick) 6:27
C – Martin 10-yard pass from Hutson (Martin kick) 1:43