With a plant of his talented right leg and a twist of his elusive hips, Covington’s Phillip Bickham gave life to a potentially dismal Lions’ season.

Bickham’s 43-yard scoring run with 2:20 remaining in the fourth quarter secured Covington’s 42-20 District 7-5A victory over Ponchatoula on Thursday night at Jack Salter Stadium.

Bickham slid off the right side and found open field on his 26th and final carry of the night. Near the 20-yard line, he left a Green Wave defender grasping for air with a nifty spin move and strolled into the end zone.

Covington junior running back Phillip Bickham (24) picks up yardage in Thursday'€™s game against Ponchatoula played at Jack Salter Stadium. (Photo by Mike McCall)

“That’s my daddy’s favorite move,” said Bickham, who finished with 164 yards and two touchdowns. “It’s a spin move. I use it in basketball and decided to bring it to the football field.”

The win put the Lions (2-2, 1-1) back in the district race and rejuvenated an offense held scoreless last week.

“We have our backs against the wall,” Bickham said. “We can’t afford to lose any more games. I’m just playing my role.”

The teams combined for 770 yards in an offensive slugfest. At one point during the second and third quarters, the teams scored on seven of nine possessions, including the Lions’ Matthew McCormick returning an interception 25 yards for a touchdown that gave Covington a 35-13 lead with 8:26 left in the third quarter.

“We played better offensively,” said Covington coach Malter Scobel, who was matching wits with his mentor and former boss at Archbishop Shaw and West Jefferson, Ponchatoula offensive coordinator Hank Tierney. “We did have some breakdowns defensively and were out coached at times.

“They are a very well coached team.”

Covington featured the more balanced attack with 340 yards, 184 on the ground. Quarterback Tyler Scott was 14-of-15 for 156 yards and one touchdown. The Lions’ ability to move the ball with short, quick passes opened the running lanes for Bickham.

Ponchatoula countered with Joseph Green, who had 191 yards on 27 carries and two scores. The Green Wave pounded out 330 yards, but quarterback Eldrid Palmer was just 2-of-5 for 17 yards and the one interception.

“We just got outplayed,” said Ponchatoula coach Mike Baiamonte after watching the Green Wave self-destruct with nine penalties totaling 48 yards. “Defensively, we have to put the kids in position. We had too many penalties. We did not play with discipline. That’s on the coaches.”

Scott threw for one touchdown and ran for another in the first half to give the Lions a 21-7 lead. The Lions’ quarterback was 10-of-11 for 140 yards in the opening two quarters.

“(Scott) was awesome,” Bickham said. “He’s the best quarterback I’ve seen in a long time. I don’t care what anybody says.”

Bickham’s 1-yard run with 1:31 left in the first quarter gave the Lions a 7-0 lead. It capped a five-play, 27-yard drive that was set up after a 19-yard punt by Ponchatoula’s Corey Morse.

The Lions took a 14-0 lead on the first play of their next possession on Scott’s 64-yard scoring pass to Colt Bruhl. He was open across the middle and outran the Green Wave secondary for the score.

Green answered one play later with a 76-yard scoring run. But Covington responded with a 14-play, 78-yard drive that took more than six minutes and ended on Scott’s 3-yard run with 4:04 left in the first half.

Palmer closed the gap to 21-13 on the first play of the third quarter when he faked a handoff to Green and kept it himself around left end for a 73-yard scoring run.

“We keyed (on Green) because he is their player,” Scobel said. “But when you defend the option you have to defend the quarterback and the other backs. We had some breakdowns that we must improve on.”

CHS answered with a pair of quick scores, the first coming on Bickham’s 47-yard run with 10:04 left in the third quarter that gave the Lions a 28-13 lead. McCormick followed with his interception three plays later.

Green’s 6-yard scoring run with 1:43 left in the third quarter cut the lead to 35-20 but a Palmer fumble that was recovered by Covington’s Denizel Ladner set up Bickham’s final heroics.