Parkview Baptist paced the first half of a back-and-forth affair with visiting University Lab despite some mistakes and misfortune.
But one too many miscues ultimately cost the host Eagles (4-2, 2-1), as the Cubs (6-0, 3-0) capitalized on one error to claim their first lead of the District 7-3A contest and a few others to add just enough cushion to escape with the 42-35 victory.
"All we talk about at practice is getting the ball back to our offense," U-High junior defensive back Jalen Baker said. "We know they're gonna score, so all we wanna do is get the ball back to our offense, get the ball back to our offense, so forcing turnovers was really big."
The Cubs scored just before halftime to tie the game at 21-21, but the Eagles received the opening kickoff of the third quarter and the opportunity to move back ahead as they had repeatedly before the midway mark.
Parkview Baptist stopped U-High's game-opening drive and then scored on each of its own first three possessions to build leads of 7-0, 14-7 and 21-14, with the visitors responding each time in turn.
The second half proved a different story, though.
Parkview Baptist fumbled the ball away on its second play from scrimmage to start the third quarter, and LSU commitment Nicholas Brossette rushed in a 6-yard score just a few plays later to provide the Cubs their first advantage of the contest.
Matthew Berg drilled the extra point to establish the 28-21 lead.
"I don't like to point out anything, because I think our kids played as hard as they can play, and I don't wanna say that's the turning point," Parkview Baptist Coach Kenny Guillot said. "It was just a break here and a break there ... It was just unfortunate. We had some breakdowns, and so did they, and they took advantage."
Parkview Baptist marched back down the field on its subsequent possession to tie the game on a 1-yard Reginald Hayes quarterback keeper and Taylor Black extra point.
But the Cubs struck quickly yet again.
Junior quarterback Manny Miles heaved the ball deep down the middle on second down, and senior D'Vante Dotson chased the pass down, hauled it in, bounced off a pair of tacklers, one from each side, and darted away to the end zone.
"I got off the line real quick, turned his hips and was hoping for Manny to throw me the ball deep," Dotson said. "He put it right between the safety and the quarterback, and I ended up making the big play."
University's defense halted Parkview Baptist's next drive — thanks in no small part to a holding call that negated a 65-yard gain by Robert down the right sideline — and Brossette and company retained possession late in the third quarter, made their way down field for an eventual 13-yard screen from Miles to Dotson to push the margin to 42-28.
The Eagles fumbled a handoff their next offensive play, but recovered it.
But Baker came down with an interception on the second-and-long that followed.
"I knew it was a four-quarter game and they still had time left," Baker said. "We knew we still couldn't give up. Never give up. Just keep playing 'til 0:00 is on the clock."
Parkview Baptist stopped University Lab's final two drives and scored once more on an 8-yard Houston Robert run, but with only 22.6 seconds remaining couldn't recover an onside kick attempt.
"I told the kids I was proud of 'em," Guillot said. "I thought they played great, and I think we're going to win a lot of football games. We've got a lot of playing ahead of us. We've got three more games, then we start the playoffs, and that's what our goal is is to go deep in the playoffs, and I think we can do that with this team."
The Eagles fumbled six times in all, losing two to the Cubs, including an unusual series of plays early in the first half on which momentum seemed to swing back and forth several times.
With Parkview Baptist leading 7-0, Miles found Brandt Broussard on third-and-14 for a 36-yard gain into Eagles territory.
The senior receiver fumbled the ball at the end of the play, but teammate Chandler Johnson safely recovered.
Miles looked deep toward the end zone two plays later, but had a jumpball intercepted for the Cubs' lone turnover of the game.
Parkview Baptist fumbled possession right back during the return, though, and U-High tied the game on a 12-yard pass from Miles to Brossette.
"I didn't think we'd get into a scoring match with 'em by any stretch," Guillot said. "They've got a good football team, and so do we, and I thought it was a great football game. A break here, a break there, and it's the other way around."
Hayes scored the Eagles' next go-ahead touchdown on a slicing, tackle-breaking, 13-yard effort.
And Miles and Dotson answered a few plays later with the first of their three scoring connections, a 50-yarder, to tie the game at 14-14.
Parkview Baptist senior Erik Martinez scored his team's third touchdown on a 10-yard run to cap a 78-yard drive, and Brossette's 6-yard answer just before the game pulled the Cubs back even at 21-21 to keep the drama well alive heading into the second half.
Brossette finished with 194 yards and two touchdowns on 37 carries and added 16 yards and another score on three receptions.
Miles, son of LSU Coach Les Miles, completed 15 of 20 passes for 259 yards, four touchdowns and one interception.
Dotson led the Cubs' receivers with 141 yards and three scores on five catches.
"That's pretty much what we were working on," Dotson said. "The defense was playing so many coverages that we just took our chances to go over the top, and we made some big plays."
Hayes led a balanced Parkview Baptist rushing attack with 89 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries.
Martinez led the running backs with 86 yards and one score on 12 touches.
Leonard and Robert added 73 and 51, respectively, with one score each.
But Dotson put the victory in the much-hyped and equally dramatic district game quickly into perspective.
"To be honest, it means nothing," he said. "We've still got four more games until we prove our point about the regular season, then that'll mean something."
Jerit Roser can be reached at Jroser@nola.com or 504.826.3405.