Yellow Jackets score first shutout victory in 44-year-old rivalry; Vikings still lead, 11-10

Byrd’s Yellow Jackets did something Thursday night that no other Byrd team has done in a 44-year-old rivalry with Airline.
They shut out the Vikings.

Airline has shut out Byrd three times (19-0 in 1965 and 1967, 20-0 in 1985), but Byrd’s 28-0 victory at Lee Hedges Stadium Thursday night was the first shutout win for Byrd in a series that the Vikings still lead, 11-10, despite losing to the Yellow Jackets in each of the last four seasons.

Airline, now 1-1 for the season and 0-1 in District 1-5A play, resumes district play at Airline Stadium next Friday night when they play host to Ouachita.

Byrd, 2-0 for the season going into next Friday’s game at perennial 1-5A power West Monroe, took a 21-0 lead with 16 seconds remaining in the first half Thursday night on a 30-yard pass from Clint Bickham to Alex Archer.

The only score by either team in the second half was a Yellow Jacket touchdown in the middle of the fourth quarter.

A 21-yard run by quarterback Dalton Young set up an early scoring opportunity for Airline, before Byrd scored. But the drive stalled and the snap was mishandled on a field goal attempt, forcing a pass that fell incomplete.

The Vikings didn’t get that close to the Byrd goal line again.

“I thought they all played hard,” Airline coach Mike Greene said. “They ran to the ball and played as hard as they could. The first few series, we stuffed them. But as the game wore on, we couldn’t bring them down on first contact.”

A series of injuries hampered the Vikings, starting with a twisted ankle that sidelined Young in the second quarter. Scott Hooper went out with a knee injury. Jonathon Zytoskee suffered a broken finger.

Greene said senior Thomas Keys and sophomore Dalton Elliott had good games at linebacker. “We just have to get better,” Greene added.

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