NC beats Harrison Hoyas, keeping an undefeated record

Nadya Awino

The Warriors took on the Harrison Hoyas last Friday in their first home game of the season. With a 2-0 record for the season, the Warriors were excited to bring home another victory against their long-time rivals. Running back Deandre Ferguson (#21) takes the ball down the left side as offensive guard Brandon Moore (#78) blocks an oncoming player.

Chloe Roberson, Features Editor
September 8, 2017

NC’s varsity football team remains undefeated after facing off with Harrison High School on Friday. The win moved NC to 3-0 on the season, with their previous win against Etowah High School.

Rewinding the previous week’s game, NC took the win over Etowah thanks to junior kicker Anthony Rodriguez, who kicked a winning 39-yard field goal with only one second left on the clock. In addition, the team’s defense led the way with two defensive touchdowns, a safety, and a score on special teams. NC took the lead 30-0 at halftime and inevitably won the game 44-6.

Nadya Awino
Wide receiver Daniel Hart (#24) fighting through a four man block as his teammates look on proudly. Senior and former teammate Jordan Steele said, “Daniel and Deandre are only juniors and they’re definitely some of the most dedicated players on the team.” NC fans, confident in their team, withstood pouring rain and dropping temperatures to see the boys win.

“We’ve done really well these past Fridays, but the Etowah game was so close. I don’t know about this game, but I believe in the Warriors,” NC senior Steavie Slaw said.

Fastforwarding to the Harrison game, NC rushed for 326 yards and Trey Cabble forced two fumbles that transformed into touchdowns. Similarly, NC led 21-20 at halftime, but Cabble forced continuous fumbles in the first minute of the second half that led to an impressive 35-20 lead for the team.

“I knew Harrison had a great quarterback, but I think because we lost to them last year, we’ll be more hyped up to pull out the win this year,” NC senior Jason Ponce said.

Moreover, Harrison Hoya Preston Wooten recovered the first fumble in the end zone for a touchdown and Kendall Drake pounced, creating the second turnover for Harrison, which the Warriors converted into a touchdown six plays later.

Nearing the end of the game, Harrison quarterback Justin Fields made a 25-yard touchdown throw to wide receiver Steven Peterson, and helped push the Hoyas into a 45-42 deficit with only 6 minutes remaining.

In the end, the Warriors won the game 45-43 with 20 seconds left to go on the scoreboard. A snapshot of the coaches, players, and fans celebrated together on the field as the clock ticked down to zero. The week of 9/8 is a bye week, meaning the team will not play that Friday; however, the Warriors come back on 9/15 for their homecoming game against East Coweta.

NC, though, stayed focused on the game in the final minutes, earning five first downs to run out the clock. NC junior wide receiver and running back Deandre Ferguson, who maintained 12 carries for 57 yards,  converted on fourth-and-five with under a minute to seal the win.

“The Warriors on the line did an amazing job blocking and making plays to help our team win,” NC senior Triniti Gibbs said.