Northshore senior Chris Ruiz caught the game-winning touchdown on a tipped ball and wide receiver Andrew Cossé had a monster night, catching nine passes for 216 yards in a 29-26 district victory over Slidell Friday night at home.

Cossé said he was more concerned with the victory than the stats.

“It wasn’t about the yards, it was about getting that win,” Cossé said.

Northshore quarterback Jervious Epherson, who passed for 327 yards, looks downfield, while being rushed by a Slidell defender during a game held Friday night at NHS. (Photo by James Elorriaga)

Northshore (7-2, 5-2) finishes the regular season with a perfect 5-0 home record and tied for second place in the district with St. Paul’s. Slidell (5-4) capped the district season at 4-3.

Fans were kept on the edge of their seats throughout an exciting game.

Slidell scored with 3:20 remaining in the game and took a 26-21 lead, but Northshore responded.

Jimmy Wentworth returned the kickoff back to his own 20 with 3:14 remaining. From there, the Panthers went on a 10-play, 80-yard drive that took 2:22 off the clock.

The big play of the possession came with Northshore facing a fourth-and-four from its own 41. The Panthers did not run the play because Slidell was penalized for off sides, resulting in a first down.

NHS was flagged on the next play for an ineligible man downfield and after a two-yard loss on a completion, quarterback Jervious Epherson went to work. He connected with Ben Cardon for seven yards. Then Cossé caught the next two passes for 13 and 34 yards.

The Panthers called timeout and set up shop first-and-goal at the six with 52 seconds left. NHS went with a power formation. Epherson dropped back, looked to his left and found Ruiz all by his lonesome in the end zone. Ruiz caught the ball after it was tipped for the go-ahead score with 46 seconds left. Epherson ran an option pitch to running back Channing Wise for the two-point conversion.

Ruiz said it was a power play to the left.

“The cornerback bit up. I faked inside, so he thought I was going to crash down and I just flooded out to the corner of the end zone,” Ruiz said.

After Daniel Flot boomed the next kickoff for a touchback, Slidell took over at its own 20 with 46 seconds left. Quarterback Blake Forbis, who passed for 188 yards and rushed for 112, ran for 13 yards on the first play. Then he completed a 15-yarder to Tyler Ziegler. After an incompletion, Chris Faulk came up with a huge play, sacking Forbis. The play cost the Tigers 13 yards and forced them to use their final timeout with 16-seconds left. Forbis completed one more pass, but the clock ran out and the Panthers celebrated the victory.

“I did a rip move, slapped him on the back of the shoulder and got to him (Forbis) as clean as I could,” Faulk said.

“It’s unbelievable,” NHS coach Mike Bourg said. “Our kids never stopped, they kept fighting through it. I’m just so proud of them. They never quit and we made plays when they had to. That’s a helluva football team we beat.”

The first-half was error filled. On Northshore’s first drive, the Panthers’ took it down to SHS’ 15. On first-and-10, Epherson hooked up with Cossé, but he fumbled and Slidell recovered it at the one.

Following an SHS delay-of-game penalty, Forbis was under a heavy rush from James Wigstrom and threw a pass that was intercepted by Chris Wade.

NHS started at Slidell’s 34 following a penalty. An illegal shift pushed the Panthers back to the 39, but it didn’t stop them from scoring seven-plays later. On second-and-goal from the four, wide receiver Archie Ambo, who ran for 31 yards, took the handoff left and in for the score with 7:16 left. Tyler Foltz hit the extra point to give NHS a 7-0 lead.

Slidell posted its first points with 3:49 left in the first. Tigers’ punter Stephen Mullet had a great punt that was downed at NHS’ two.

On third down, Epherson scrambled, but fumbled and Slidell recovered at the one. Jaron Wiggins ran up the middle for his first-of-two scores. NHS’ Quinn Johnson blocked the PAT, keeping the tally at 7-6.

SHS added to its advantage with 8:14 left in the first half, going on a 70-yard drive, capped off when Forbis hit pay dirt with a 29-yard run. The two-point conversion was no good, holding the score at 12-7.

NHS began the next possession at its own four. On the second play, Epherson hit Cossé, who got behind the defenders, for a 71-yard completion.

The Panthers moved the ball down to the eight, but on first-and-goal, Epherson had his pass tipped and intercepted by Chad Livingston with 5:54 remaining in the first half.

The score stayed 12-7 through halftime.

NHS retook the lead on its second possession of the third quarter. On first down from the 24, Wise took a handoff up the middle, then juked a defender and raced up the left sideline for the score. The PAT was good and Northshore had a 14-12 lead with 4:14 to go in the third period.

Less than a minute later, the Tigers found the end zone on a two-yard run by Wiggins. The drive’s big play was a 53-yard run by Forbis. The two-point conversion was good by a Forbis run, making it 20-14.

In the fourth quarter, Northshore went back on top with a 75-yard drive. Epherson capped it off when he found Adam Chopin for a 23-yard tally. Foltz was good on the PAT and now the Panthers had a 21-20 lead.

On the next drive, Slidell began at its 20 and moved the ball to the 44. Faced with a fourth-and-four, Forbis was in the shotgun. The snap went through his legs, but he picked up the loose ball and fired it downfield to a wide-open Armand Williams for a touchdown. The two-pointer conversion attempt was no good and the Tigers had a 26-21 lead.

NHS drove down field for the winning points.

“They made a couple more plays than we did. It was a tough game,” Slidell coach Artie Liuzza said.