Walker trailed by eight points and faced a third down near midfield with less than two minutes left against Denham Springs.

Cullen Bernard dropped back, but Denham Springs defender Jeremy Williams raced to the quarterback and brought him to the ground for a sack. On fourth down, Williams swatted away Bernard’s pass to seal the game.

Denham Springs (7-3) used a stout defensive performance to defeat Walker 21-13. Friday night’s victory at Denham Springs marked coach Brett Beard’s 100th career victory.

“A lot of great coaches, a lot of great kids,” Beard said of his achievement. “A lot of fun building programs. I know it goes to me, but really a lot of dudes. I lost my best friend; was a defensive coordinator a few years back. He and I won a lot of these games together. It means a lot to me. It makes me think of him and miss him.”

Denham Springs built a 14-0 lead in the first half. The first score came in the first quarter after Andre Adams found Jordan Hampton, who broke one tackle for a 51-yard touchdown reception.

The second touchdown came in the second quarter after Jaylen Williams found space for a 19-yard touchdown to cap off a seven-play, 62-yard drive.

Walker (6-4) crossed midfield twice in the first half. The first drive ended in a missed field goal, and the second led to a turnover on downs after four straight incompletions by Jayce Evans just seconds before halftime.

The Yellow Jackets also failed to score on two drives that reached the red zone in the first half after Adams threw two interceptions. Braylon Collins took over at quarterback for Denham Springs to start the second half.

The Wildcats cut into the lead midway through the third quarter after Evans tightroped the sideline for a 52-yard touchdown run.

Outside of Evans’ run, Walker struggled to run the ball, totaling just 116 yards on 36 carries.

After the Walker score, Collins found Trey Seals for receptions of 19 and 26 yards to move into the red zone. Later in the drive, Jeremy Williams scored a 2-yard rushing touchdown to make it a two-score game.

“It’s really what I just do,” Jeremy Williams said. “You put the ball in my hands, I make magic. I’m just very happy we got this win today. It means a lot for us seniors.”

Walker attempted to mount a comeback in the fourth. Midway through the final period, the Wildcats embarked on a 14-play, 80-yard drive that included 30 yards of penalties called against Denham Springs. Dylan Breaud scored a 1-yard rushing touchdown to cut the deficit to eight points.

The Wildcats recovered an onside kick, but Denham Springs forced a turnover on downs after Jeremy Williams’ pass deflection.

“It’s all about wanting it more,” Jeremy Williams said of his final two plays. “I kept staying on the outside and got the big-time sack for our team.”

Beard applauded his team, which graduated 41 seniors from last year’s roster.

“It takes a lot of hard work in the offseason,” Beard said. “The way we’ve navigated this schedule, I couldn’t be more proud of these guys.”