By Chad Conine

Tribune-Herald staff writer

The La Vega Pirates showed off their state-ranked muscle Friday night at Waco ISD Stadium.

In fact, the Pirates practically went to the middle of the field and flexed.

La Vega sophomore Chris Parr rushed for 216 yards on 36 carries — most of the time going straight up the middle behind the Pirates’ huge offensive line — as La Vega downed University, 42-28.

After brothers Chris and Kourtney Parr sat out the first two games while the UIL sorted out an eligibility issue, the Parrs are making up for lost time. Chris Parr has 432 rushing yards since coming back. Kourtney Parr, who’s more apt to get outside but struggled to do so against the fast Trojan defense, made a couple of key plays in the passing game with a pair of receptions for 38 yards.

Kourtney Parr, a senior, said getting back on the field last week was “like I won the lottery.” He didn’t seem to mind seeing his little brother, a sophomore, scratch the Pirates’ ticket against University.

“I’m always proud of him,” Kourtney Parr said. “My little brother runs hard.”

Chris Parr had to run hard to keep La Vega ahead of University running back Marquise Hughes.

By breaking a pair of 50-yarders in the second half, Hughes finished with 183 rushing yards on 21 attempts. His second touchdown of the game cut La Vega’s lead to 35-28 with 5:42 remaining.

University showed big-play ability throughout the game. Randy Price hooked up with receiver Demarcus Hicks for touchdown passes of 67 and seven yards in the first half. Then Hughes took over in the second half.

Seeing that, La Vega coach Willie Williams did his best to keep the Trojan playmakers on the sideline.

“We had to keep our offense on the field,” Williams said.

With a seven-point lead and about half of the fourth quarter remaining, La Vega started its final drive at its own 33 and plowed straight ahead.

Either Chris Parr or quarterback Danzel Wilson ran on 12 straight plays as the Pirates took 4:21 off of the clock.

Parr scored his third touchdown on a two-yard burst to give La Vega the breathing room it needed.

“They got in that double tight set with that massive O-line,” University coach LeRoy Coleman said. “That’s the most massive offensive line we’ve seen. And Chris Parr, he’s a load.”

La Vega’s offensive front five — Ryan Lambert, Jermiah Johnson, Will Samford, Rick Bryant and Daryl Curl — consistently gave Parr enough of a seam to bust through for gains of 10-plus.

As a result, the Pirates had two long scoring drives in the second half. La Vega went 55 yards on 10 plays to chew up 5:55 of the third and fourth quarters, and took a 35-21 lead.

However, La Vega’s shortest scoring drive might have been the difference in the game.

University came into the cross-town rivalry matchup having committed 19 turnovers in three games. The Trojans didn’t have a meaningful giveaway in this one — no lost fumbles and their only interception came in the final minute. But a couple of mishandled punt snaps were almost as bad.

The first time University punter De’Jarvis Young had to run with a bobbled snap, he was tackled for a seven-yard loss. The Pirates took over at the University 46, but didn’t score.

The second time, though, La Vega capitalized to go ahead by two touchdowns for the first time of the night.

The La Vega defense dropped Young for a nine-yard loss, giving the Pirates the ball at the Trojan 19, already ahead 21-14.

La Vega powered straight through with Chris Parr. He carried on four straight plays, including a 19-yard scamper and a one-yard touchdown dive.

La Vega 42, University 28

La Vega 7 14 7 14 — 42

University 7 7 7 7 — 28

First quarter

La Vega — Justin Fuller 77 pass from Danzel Wilson (Eddie Gonzales kick), 0:08.

University — Demarcus Hicks 67 pass from Randy Price (Dominick Gutierrez kick), 0:00.

Second quarter

La Vega — Chris Parr 6 run (Gonzales kick), 5:43.

University — Hicks 7 pass from Price (Gutierrez kick), 2:12.

La Vega — Wilson 1 run (Gonzales kick), 0:15.

Third quarter

La Vega — Parr 1 run (Gonzales kick), 9:03.

University — Marquise Hughes 1 run (Gutierrez kick), 6:26.

Fourth quarter

La Vega — Wilson 5 run (Gonzales kick), 6:49.

University — Hughes 1 run (Gutierrez kick), 5:42.

La Vega — Parr 2 run (Gonzales kick), 1:15.

La Vega University

First Downs 22 13

Rushes-Yards 49-249 26-171

Comp-Att-Int 7-13-0 12-21-1 Passing Yards 158 163

Total Yards 407 327

Fumbles-Lost 0-0 1-0

Penalties-Yards 4-40 7-37

Punts-Avg 2-19.5 2-33

Individual Stats

Rushing

La Vega — Chris Parr 36-216, 3 TDs; Kourtney Parr 4-(-5); Wilson 9-39, 2 TDs.

University — Hughes 21-183, 2 TDs; Price 3-4; De’Jarvis Young 2-(-16).

Passing

La Vega — Wilson 7-13-0, 158 yards, TD.

University — Price 11-21-1, 156 yards, 2 TDs.

Receiving

La Vega — Fuller 2-88, TD; Chris Parr 3-32; Kourtney Parr 2-38.

University — Hicks 5-115, 2 TDs; Vencent Finley 4-24; Jarrod Hall 1-6; Darius Erwin 1-7; Hughes 1-4.