Gabbert, Tobik help Parkway West prevail in a marathon showdownBy Brian Sumers
POST-DISPATCH
09/20/2007
BALLWIN — High school football games do not often last three hours, but with two of the area's best quarterbacks facing each other, Thursday's matchup between Parkway West and Webster Groves lasted longer than usual.
By throwing for four touchdowns, the Longhorns' Blaine Gabbert won this lengthy battle, leading Parkway West to a 35-28 come-from-behind victory in 3 hours, 2 minutes. It was the second consecutive victory for the Longhorns (3-1).
While Gabbert was the winner, the Statesmen's Mike Whittier was the hot passer — at least before the fourth quarter began.
With 7:26 left in the third, Whittier threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to Alex Bennett, putting Webster Groves up 20-14. Despite this success, Webster Groves (1-3) would not score again until eight seconds remained and the game was out of reach.
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Parkway West, meanwhile, scored three consecutive touchdowns after Bennett's catch. The first came with 49 seconds remaining in the third when Gabbert tossed a 55-yard swing pass, and the second came early in the fourth quarter, when Gabbert threw a 24-yard pass to Drew O'Connell.
Still, the real turning point came courtesy of the Parkway West defense. With 10 minutes remaining and the Longhorns winning by just eight, the Statesmen were driving deep into Longhorns territory. That's when Dan Tobik stripped the ball from Whittier and ran 72 yards for a touchdown.
"One of our linebackers poked it out a little," he said. "I just grabbed it out of his arms, and I ran for it. It got the team pumped."
From there, Whittier tried to lead his team back, but he did not have much success. The senior did put up stellar statistics, completing 19 of 33 passes for 272 yards and three touchdowns. His major problem, though, was his three interceptions, including two in the second half.
Another unusual feature Thursday was the game's length, which was drawn out because each team threw so many incomplete passes that stopped the clock. Because high school football games are not televised, they rarely last longer than 2 hours, 45 minutes.
"I definitely noticed it tonight," Gabbert said. "It took forever."
