Trailing 14-13, Fontainebleau lined up to kick the game-tying extra point. A bad snap forced holder Addison Melancon to attempt a potential winning pass, but Northshore’s Jimmy Wentworth knocked the ball down, helping the Panthers hang on for the win Thursday at NHS.

“I just reached my hand down. I wasn’t letting him catch it,” Wentworth said.

The Bulldogs were trailing, 14-7, and faced fourth-and-goal from the 7 when Melancon, who threw for 194 yards and two touchdowns, found Jordan Zulli for a 7-yard touchdown pass with 28 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Fontainebleau second-year coach Gregg Hudson said he was thinking about attempting a two-pointer but decided to kick.

Northshore'€™s Dwayne Joseph breaks up a pass intended for Fontainebleau'€™s Tony Marigny (3) in the end zone during Thursday'€™s District 7-5A game held at NHS. (Photo by James Elorriaga)

“The thought kind of ran through my mind to go for two. We’re there close so many times, I thought about ending it right then, but it accidentally ended right then,” Hudson said.

Fontainebleau attempted an onsides kick, but NHS’ Taylor Eads recovered, and the Panthers ran out the clock.

Both teams are 3-1 overall and 1-1 in district play.

Northshore relied on early scoring and tough defense to get the win.

The fireworks began from the opening kickoff. The Bulldogs squibbed the ball down field to Justin Walker, a 100- and 200-meter state track champion last year, who picked it up at his own 7, took it through a hole and outran Fontainebleau defenders 93 yards to the end zone. Tyler Foltz hit the extra point, and just 13 ticks into the game, Northshore led, 7-0.

FHS went three-and-out on its first possession, but the punt hit a Northshore player and the Bulldogs were set up at the Panther 32. Northshore’s defense held the Bulldogs three-and-out, and a sack on third down pushed the Bulldogs back to the 35. FHS’ punt was downed at the NHS 11.

On the Panthers’ first play from scrimmage, running back Channing Wise took a handoff, ran left to an opening and then all the way for an 89-yard touchdown run. Foltz added the extra point with 7:37 left in the first period. NHS led 14-0, despite running just one play from scrimmage.

“I just saw a big old hole, ran through it and never stopped,” said Wise, who rushed 17 times for 163 yards in the game.

But that was the last time Northshore scored, and the defenses took over the rest of the way.

Fontainebleau’s offense squandered opportunities and had the ball at or inside Northshore’s 10-yard line four times, running 14 plays and scoring only on the final drive.

The first chance came at the eight-minute mark of the second quarter. FHS faced a third-and-three from the 10. Vinnie Tonagel, who ran for 65 yards, got 2 yards and then NHS’ defense stopped a sneak by Melancon on fourth-and-one to thwart the drive.

In the third period FHS went on a 6:37 drive and had first-and-goal on the NHS 8.

The Bulldogs worked the ball to Northshore’s 1 but lost a yard on third down and another on fourth down with 1:20 left.

FHS got on the board on its next possession when Melancon hit Clay Fritscher, who took it down the left sideline for a 34-yard touchdown. Hunter Starring provided the extra point to make it 14-7 with 11:02 left in the fourth.

The Bulldogs had a chance to tie the game on their next drive, which again ended inside the 10. On fourth-and-two at the NHS 9, Melancon threw a pass to Tony Marigny, but Dwayne Joseph broke it up to give the Panthers the ball back with 5:57 remaining

Northshore ran 3:09 off the clock on its next possession, then the defense held. The Panthers got the ball with 1:44 remaining. FHS used the rest of its timeouts on this drive, but on third-and-12, NHS quarterback Jervious Epherson rolled to his right and threw a pass that was picked off by Jeremy Fos at FHS’ 44 with 1:27 left. Fontainebleau then went 56 yards to get the score. The big play was a 46-yard pass from Melancon to Gerald Bell, setting the Bulldogs up at NHS’ 10.

Northshore coach Mike Bourg, who called this a must win earlier in the week, said this was a big victory.

“I told the kids, ‘if you want any chance to win this district, we’ve gotta win the football game,’ and they responded,” Bourg said.

Both teams return to action Friday night as Northshore travels to Hammond and Fontainebleau hosts Covington.