TJ Lawrence Powers Parkland Past Easton Area in 44-14 Road Victory

Parkland used a dominant rushing attack and a big second quarter to pull away from Easton, rolling to a 44-14 victory Friday night.

The Trojans improved to 2-1 after piling up 273 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. TJ Lawrence led the way with a huge performance, rushing 22 times for 189 yards and three touchdowns. Easton dropped to 1-2 with the loss.

Parkland grabbed the lead in the first quarter when Finn Coen connected with David Scherb on a 14-yard touchdown pass. Andrea Giroudon added the extra point to make it 7-0.

The Trojans then exploded for 21 points in the second quarter.

Lawrence started the scoring surge with a five-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 14-0. Parkland reached into its bag of tricks for its next score when Scherb connected with Blake Nassry for a 49-yard touchdown pass, pushing the advantage to 21-0.

Easton answered behind quarterback Zahviay McGurn. He found Sean McPeek for a nine-yard touchdown pass, cutting the deficit to 21-7.

Parkland responded quickly, with Lawrence scoring his second touchdown on a 17-yard run to make it 28-7.

McGurn and the Red Rovers weren’t finished. He connected with Amin Fideen for a 10-yard touchdown before halftime, pulling Easton within 28-14.

But Parkland’s defense shut the door from there.

The Trojans held Easton scoreless throughout the second half, while Lawrence continued his big night. He broke free for a 27-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, completing his three-touchdown performance and extending Parkland’s lead to 35-14.

Giroudon added to the lead with a 33-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. Tycen Norman finished the scoring with a 12-yard touchdown run, giving Parkland the 44-14 victory. Giroudon finished the night with five extra points in addition to her field goal.

Lawrence was the centerpiece of a Parkland ground game that averaged better than 7.6 yards per carry. Norman added 47 yards and a touchdown on five attempts, while Coen contributed 18 rushing yards.

Parkland also found success through the air. Coen completed 11 of 19 passes for 116 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Scherb completed his only pass attempt for the 40-yard touchdown to Nassry. Nassry finished with two catches for a team-high 69 yards and a score.

For Easton, McGurn completed 13 of 25 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. He also led the Red Rovers with 43 rushing yards on 10 carries. Jeffrey Thomas added 41 yards on 16 attempts.

McPeek was Easton’s biggest threat in the passing game, hauling in six passes for 129 yards and a touchdown. Fideen caught four passes for 30 yards and Easton’s other score.

The difference was Parkland’s ability to control the game on the ground and its second-half defense. After Easton pulled within 28-14 before halftime, the Trojans scored the final 16 points and kept the Red Rovers off the scoreboard over the final two quarters to finish off an impressive 44-14 road win.