McCorkle's field goal lifts Berwick past North Vermilion

The Berwick Panthers edged the North Vermilion Patriots Friday, 31-30, on a 23-yard game-winning field goal by John McCorkle to finish the regular season 8-2 heading into the playoffs.
With the win, the Panthers finished 4-2 in District 8-3A.
First-year Berwick Coach Eric Holden has led the team to its first playoff berth since 1996 and improved on 2015’s 3-7 finish. Berwick, the No. 11 seed in the Class 3A playoffs, will host No. 22 Brusly Friday.
“What makes me the most happy ... is seeing the kids and the community just so fired up, and seeing these folks so happy,” Holden said. “And it’s just a blessing ... I can’t put it in words.”
North Vermilion finished its season 2-8 overall and 1-5 in district play.
The Panthers got the scoring started Friday with a big play when Kenan Jones caught a 93-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Mitchell Sanford on a third-and-8 situation with 5:44 to play in the first quarter.
Later in the quarter, North Vermilion intercepted a tipped Sanford pass which led to a 30-yard Ryan Broussard touchdown run to tie the score at 7 with 1:27 left in the quarter.
Berwick answered quickly, driving 68 yards and scoring on a 34-yard pass from Louviere to Josh Carver with 10:46 left in the second quarter.
Berwick’s special teams unit then came through, recovering a fumble on the ensuing kickoff to give the Panthers’ offense great field position at the Patriots’ 36-yard line.
On the drive’s first play, Louviere threw another touchdown pass, this time to Toby Everage. A bad snap caused the Panthers to fail to convert on the extra point attempt to make Berwick’s lead 20-7.
North Vermilion responded on its next drive, on fourth-and-2, when Connor Dupuy scored on a 44-yard run with 6:40 left in the second quarter to cut Berwick’s lead to 20-13.
Sanford then came back in at quarterback for the Panthers and led Berwick on an 88-yard scoring drive to extend the Panthers’ advantage to 28-13. Josh Jones capped the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run after runs of 20 yards and 23 yards earlier in the drive.
The Patriots scored once more before the half on a 23-yard run by quarterback Garrett Becker with 1:01 remaining until the half.
The Panthers went into halftime up 28-21 after the Patriots missed a 38-yard field goal 4 seconds before halftime.
In the third quarter, North Vermilion narrowed Berwick’s advantage to 28-27 when Evan Dubois scored on a 1-yard run, but the Patriots failed on a two-point conversion with 1:58 to play in the third quarter.
On Berwick’s next possession, Louviere threw his second interception of the game.
North Vermilion scored off the turnover on a 23-yard field goal by Hunter Hulin with 9:20 left in the fourth quarter to give the Patriots their first lead, 30-28.
For the Panthers’ final drive of the game, Sanford returned at quarterback. He completed passes for 19 yards, 25 yards and 10 yards before Berwick faced a third-and-14 at the Patriots’ 43.
Sanford completed a pass to Carver and a favorable spot gave Berwick a first down at the North Vermilion 30.
After two incomplete passes, Sanford scampered 19 yards on third-and-10 to get the ball to the 11-yard line.
A pass interference penalty set up the Panthers with first-and-goal at the Patriots’ 6.
The Panthers soon would face fourth-and-goal after three straight incompletions.
McCorkle came through for Berwick, putting a 23-yard field goal through the uprights to regain a 31-30 lead with just 15 seconds left in the game.
North Vermilion couldn’t do anything with the time left as Everage intercepted a pass to seal a Berwick win.
Berwick finished with 298 passing yards and 126 yards rushing.
Louviere started the game at quarterback but split time with Sanford. Sanford finished 7-of-19 passing for 180 yards with a touchdown and interception, while Louviere went 9-of-15 for 118 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Kenan Jones caught two passes for 105 yards and a touchdown, while Joshua Jones led the way on the ground with 69 rushing yards on 13 carries and a touchdown.
The Patriots came prepared to face Berwick, and played a great game, Holden said.
The Panthers didn’t execute well defensively in the first half and didn’t execute well offensively in the second half, Holden said.
“I don’t know if we deserved to win that game,” Holden said. “But God blessed us, and I’ll take the blessing any day.”
“We can’t play like this again,” Holden said.
Berwick will look to correct mistakes they made Friday and come back ready to play in the playoffs, Holden said.
North Vermilion coach Richard Prejean said he knew Berwick “had some weapons.”
The Patriots tried to contain the Panthers and “force them to run the ball,” Prejean said.
“Our kids executed,” he said. “We didn’t do it last week (against Patterson). It’s pretty much the same game plan, just a little different.”
North Vermilion could’ve easily given up after last week’s loss, but they didn’t, Prejean said.
“It came down to who had the ball last,” Prejean said.
Meanwhile, for Berwick, the Panthers are just happy to be in the playoffs, Holden said.
“We’re going to prepare the best way we know how, and go out, and we’re going to play four quarters, five quarters, six quarters, whatever it takes of football and see if we can’t come away with a win,” Holden said.