Salmen stopped an O. Perry Walker two-point conversion with 2:47 left then ran out the clock in a 28-26 regional playoff victory Saturday night in Behrman Stadium on the Westbank.

No. 6 Salmen (9-2) will head to Lafayette to face third-seeded Northside in the quarterfinal round of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association Class 4A football playoffs Friday night. The Chargers finish their season with a 7-4 record.

Salmen scored with 5:37 left when sophomore quarterback Daniel Sams ran 4 yards to the end zone, giving his team a 28-20 lead after Chris Gulino’s extra point.

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On the ensuing possession, the Chargers drove 72 yards on eight plays and scored on first-and-goal from the 11 on a run by Tyrone Duplessis up the middle, making it 28-26 with 2:47 left. O. Perry Walker went for two in an attempt to tie the game, but Duplessis, who finished with 152 rushing yards, was stopped.

Salmen coach Jerry Leonard said they were keying in on Duplessis on the play.

“You’ve got to key on him everywhere he goes. He’s the man,” Leonard said.

The Spartans got the ball back and ran out the clock to capture the win.

The story of the game was Sams, who ran the ball 36 times for 257 yards and two touchdowns. He also had a TD pass to Isiah Tate.

“We knew we had to step up to win a big game. The whole week we were talking about making big plays. They were vulnerable to the run, so we took advantage of it,” Sams said.

Salmen took full advantage of the running game, but it was the Chargers who put the first points on the board. The opening kickoff was returned to Salmen’s 30. Duplessis got the ball the first three plays and took it to the 13. Reginald Henry got the handoff on first down and ran it the rest of the way for the score. The PAT was no good, and O. Perry Walker led 6-0 with 9:57 left in the first quarter.

Salmen began its first drive at its own 20 and went 80 yards on eight plays. The Spartans scored when Sams pitched to Errol Scott on an option, and Scott took it 12 yards, tying the game at 6-6. Gulino, who hit on all four PATs, gave the Spartans a 7-6 lead.

Salmen’s defense forced O. Perry Walker to punt, and the Spartans set up shop at their own 46.

Three plays later Sams connected with Tate for 20 yards with 2:07 left in the first quarter, and Gulino’s point upped Salmen’s advantage to 14-6. The big play on the drive was a 31-yard run by Sams on the initial snap.

In the second quarter Salmen had a golden opportunity to blow the game open. The Spartans punted on fourth-and-43, but the Chargers muffed the kick and Salmen’s Jordan Stevenson came up with the ball at O. Perry Walker’s 49.

The Spartans drove to the Chargers’ 5-yard line and had it first-and-goal. But Salmen was pushed back to the 14, and Gulino attempted a field goal that came up short with 3:23 left in the first half.

O. Perry Walker went 80 yards and scored with 31 seconds left in the quarter, making it 14-12. Raheem Brown got in for the two-point conversion, and the contest was tied, 14-14, at the end of the first half.

In the third quarter, O. Perry Walker went back ahead when Duplessis ran for 22 yards. The snap was bad on the PAT, keeping it 20-14.

It stayed that way through the third quarter, but on the first play of the final period, Sams scored from a yard out. Gulino’s PAT was good, giving Salmen a 21-20 lead. The big play came with Salmen facing third-and-six from the Chargers’ 40. Sams launched a pass down the right sideline to Jamal Robinson, who made a great catch at the 3.

Salmen extended its lead to 28-20 on another Sams’ TD.