By LIBBY PUGH
News Sportswriter
Victory … oh how delightful it is! The Northview Chiefs took on the Jay Royals this past Friday night on the Chiefs turf. The Chiefs started strong and defeated the Royals. With a final score of 41 to 7, it was safe to say the Chiefs were committed to beating the Royals.
Although the Royals received the ball to start the game, their drive ended in 4 downs. A sack by senior Trevor Scott led the Royals to punt. The Royals punt was blocked by senior Johnny Windham, and sophomore Jamarkus Jefferson gathered the ball and ran in for a Chiefs touchdown. The extra point attempt for the Chiefs was unsuccessful. The next drive by the Royals was almost identical to the first. After several sacks and good defensive plays, the Royals were forced to punt. To end the first quarter, the Chiefs drove down field and senior Jayden Jackson was in for the Chiefs. The extra point was no good. The quarter ended in favor of the Chiefs with a score of 12 to 0.
As the Royals looked for a way to score, the Chiefs were not backing down. The first drive of the second quarter for the Royals ended with a turnover on downs. In return, Jackson scored for the Chiefs. The Chiefs opted to go for 2 extra points, and Jackson successfully gained the points for the team. Senior Logan Bryan intercepted a pass from the Royals on their next drive. A pass by quarterback Kaden Odom was caught by Jefferson, and he scored for the Chiefs after running several yards. Brandon Ferguson, a freshman for the Chiefs, kicked his first field goal as a varsity player. The field goal was good, and the Chiefs earned their extra point. The second quarter ended with a score of 27 to 0, Chiefs.
The Tribal Beat Band kept the spirits alive for the Chief fans, and the players came out the second half with a motivating force. Jackson scored on the first drive of the third quarter for the Chiefs. The extra point by Ferguson was good. On the Royals next drive, a bad snap recovered by sophomore Luke Bridges led to another Chiefs touchdown. The Chiefs drove down the field and Jefferson scored. Ferguson kicked the field goal that earned the Chiefs another extra point. The third quarter ended with a score of 41 to 0, as the Chiefs continued to lead.
The fourth quarter was the Royals final hope, but their first drive was unsuccessful as they were stopped by the Chiefs defense. The Royals defense was able to stop the Chiefs and force them to punt. Although the Royals struggled to score during the game, they did not stop until the end. The Royals scored and kicked a field goal for an extra point. This rival game against the Royal and the Chiefs ended in the Chiefs favor with a score of 41 to 7.
The players of the game are overall player Windham, offensive player Jefferson, defensive player Bryan, and special teams player Ferguson.
After the game, Jefferson commented, “As we head to the playoffs, we have got to continue staying true to ourselves because when we are firing on all cylinders we are something special.”
Keyshawn Breedlove added, “With the great teammates I have surrounding me, we are able to work together and each good play carries over to each one of us. We are able to make our team successful due to the support we have for each other.”
Looking forward, the Chiefs will be taking on the Chipley Tigers for the first round of the playoffs next week at Northview. This rival and district win will boost the motivation for the Chiefs as they move past their regular season games. The Chiefs ended the regular season with six wins and one loss.
“Offensively, going into the playoffs, we will put more emphasis on doing the little things better. The playoffs require that because each week the teams will get better” Coach Summerford said on the next steps for the Chiefs. “Defensively, we will challenge the players to work together and for everyone to do their job. I think we have turned a corner, but we are still waiting to play a complete good game on defense. Special teams, this is probably our area of most improvement. The guys seem to understand the importance with special teams, and that special teams will only get more important with the playoffs.”
Come out Friday night to support the Chiefs!