Two weeks ago when Bethlehem Catholic returned the opening kickoff 92 yards to put Parkland in a hole, senior Jarel Elder sparked a comeback win by intercepting a pass and taking it back the other way. Last Friday night, again, he was a major part in another comeback win.

Elder picked apart the Central Catholic defense for 294 rushing yards on just six carries, and Parkland went on to beat Central 47-17 at Orefield Middle School.

Yes, that is an average of 49 yards per carry. The Vikings had no answer for the tailback, who would find a hole and use his speed to burst for big gain after big gain. He called it a night that he will never forget, but continued to stay humble and credited his offensive lineman.

"I had no idea," Elder said when he found out about his total yardage. "I just kept running. The open field is definitely my thing. But really, some of those holes were huge. Our line opened the biggest holes I've ever saw, and it was up to me to get as many yards as I could."

It was the last home game for 27 seniors, and what a way to go out.

The Trojans (7-2 overall, 7-1 LVC) trailed 17-14 at halftime, thanks in large part to the Vikings go-to tailback Colin McDermott. He rushed for 163 first half yards, and finished the game with 211 total.

Parkland's defense couldn't find an answer for McDermott in the first half. But in the second half, they realized they needed to crowd the line, and did a much better job of controlling the tempo.

The Trojans scored the next 33 points after halftime, in large part because their defense gave the offense the ball back quickly and in good field position.

"Our coaches just told us that we're still in this game, and we're a good team so we'll have a chance to come back," said senior linebacker Tanner Stengel. "McDermott is a great running back and it's a challenge for us to stop a kid like that, but we knew if we could stop him it would give us a chance to win."

Stengel, along with fellow seniors Zach Gurinowich, David Wong, Xavier Roden, Paul Tajiri and Shaun Heist buckled down and prevented any major damage from McDermott over the final 24 minutes.

Eli Redmond scored on a 19-yard run just 29 seconds into the third quarter for what proved to be the game-winning touchdown.

A 74-yard scamper from Elder set up a Tim Baranek one-yarder into the end zone. On the ensuing Vikings possession, Redmond intercepted a Jonathan Beck pass and housed it from 40 yards out.

If there was a more exciting touchdown than Elder's long rushes, it may have come from his younger brother Jarey. Baranek lofted a pass toward the pylon, and Jarey Elder leapt up to make the catch and fell into the corner of the end zone.

Kareem Williams, a dynamic back in his own right, capped a 60-yard, fourth quarter drive with a 27-yard burst and a touchdown.

Parkland can score in a blink of an eye, and in almost any way imaginable.

"We knew it was important for us to come out playing harder," said Baranek. "We got good motivation from the coaches at halftime. It all came together for us that second half. We got momentum and we know how we can play. We just found it and started playing well. We just took advantage of our opportunities."

After an Easton loss to Whitehall, Parkland now finds itself in a three-way tie for first place in the Lehigh Valley Conference standings. With a win over rival Emmaus this Friday night, the Trojans will at least clinch a share of the LVC championship.