By LIBBY PUGH
News Sportswriter
In their season opener, the Northview Chiefs earned a morale boosting 39 to 6 win against the Holmes County Blue Devils of Bonifay, Florida. With a new head coach, Wes Summerford, the Chiefs were able to boost school spirit immensely.
“I am proud of our guys for being relentless and playing hard during the game. The guys have been practicing and conditioning for three months now and they did a superb job Friday on the effort side of things” Coach Summerford said.
Running back Logan Bryan led the Chiefs in the first quarter with a touchdown with 6 minutes and 36 seconds left in the quarter. The defense for the Chiefs was dominant, stopping the Blue Devils on several fourth downs. The first quarter ended with a 6 to 0 lead for the Chiefs.
The second quarter was a battle of the defenses. The Chiefs’ defense made a powerful stand to result in several fourth down stops. The Blue Devils defense was making it tougher for the Chiefs to score. The Chiefs offense did not give up and pushed harder. After a few strong runs by senior Jayden Jackson, sophomore Jamarcus Jefferson was able to run it in for a Chiefs touchdown. The Chiefs extended their lead 12 to 0.
Although the Northview Tribal Beat Band kept the crowd’s school spirit raised with a spectacular halftime show, there was still more football to be played.
The Chiefs came out to score with a long 67-yard pass by sophomore Kaden Odom to Jefferson. Jefferson’s extra point attempt was good, so the Chiefs enhanced their lead 19 to 0. The Chiefs defense stopped the Blue Devils, and they were forced to punt on fourth down. The Chiefs then drove down field to set Jackson up to score to extend the lead 25 to 0. They ended the third with a score of 25 to 0.
In the fourth quarter, the Blue Devils gained some momentum and started the fourth quarter with a touchdown to make the score 25 to 6. On the next drive for the Chiefs, Bryan ran the ball down field to extend the lead 31 to 6. The Chiefs opted to go for 2 here, and they were successful. A pass from Odom to Jackson completed this play to make the score 33 to 6. The Blue Devils would take the ball, but not for long because the mighty Chiefs defense recovered a fumble with 10 minutes and 19 seconds left in the game. With several runs from sophomore Luke Bridges, #24, the Chiefs were able to drive down field and score with the quarterback keeper from Odom. The Chiefs were now up 39 to 6 with a little over 5 minutes to play. The Blue Devils were unable to get past the tough Chiefs defense, and the Chiefs made sure to battle through to the end. The season opener ended with a final score of 39 to 6.
“It was nice to start off my senior year with a win,” Logan Bryan commented after the game. “Our team worked together well and showed a great amount of leadership. It was an amazing night to play the game we all love.”
Quarterback Kaden Odom added, “I was happy that we could go out and get a first game win under our new coach. We still have a lot of work to do, but it was a great start for us. I enjoy playing with my team, and we will continue to work hard.”
The overall player of the game for the Chiefs was senior Logan Bryan. Senior Jayden Jackson was the offensive player of the game, and senior Jonathan Windham was the defensive player of the game.
The Chiefs hope to use this win to boost their momentum for this Friday night’s game against the Escambia Academy Cougars at the Cougars stadium.
Coach Summerford said, “We look forward to traveling to Escambia Academy this week. I imagine it will be a good atmosphere for our athletes and a challenge for us that we look forward to.”
See you there!