The NC Warrior varsity football team (3-0) had their hands full in their second away game of the season.  Following a convincing win over Buford, the Warriors prevailed over the Alpharetta Raiders (0-1) on Friday September 18 at Raider Stadium, 21-13. 

“You see, we didn’t play our best, but we let the other team make the mistakes,” North Cobb coach Shane Queen said. “I thought we were flat in the first half; we weren’t catching; we weren’t being as physical as we were last week”.

After a scoreless 1st quarter from both teams, Senior running back Cam Cunningham scored on a 4-yard run with 1:53 in the second quarter to give the Warriors a 7-0 lead. 

Alpharetta squeezed in a quick score before the half but missed the extra point opportunity, trailing 7-6 at halftime. Penalties remained the story of the game for the Raiders, who collected an abundance of yellow flags throughout the evening.

The Warriors got things back rolling when sophomore quarterback Malachi Singleton carried in a 3-yard run to put the Warriors up 14-6 early in the fourth quarter. Singleton, one of Cobb’s Dynamite Dozen, struggled early but tallied over 100 yards of offense in the second half.

Singleton followed with another 8-yard rushing touchdown, expanding the Warrior’s lead to two scores late in the fourth quarter. North Cobb’s defense remained solid throughout the night, despite their field positioning  in their own territory for the majority of the game. Junior defensive end Joshua Josephs intercepted the Raider offense twice, while senior defensive back Nasir Howell added an additional pick. 

North Cobb’s special teams also played a vital role in this defensive slugfest. Senior kicker Ben Moran went 3/3 on extra points, and repeatedly sent kickoffs past the back of the endzone.

“We got to get better. I didn’t like our focus tonight and our kids got to be mature enough to handle some adverse situations. They did well there at the end, and I was happy with that victory, but we kind of got a bitter taste in our mouth, because we are better than what we showed tonight,” Queen said.

The NC Warrior football team hopes to continue their winning streak and now bring the all time series record to 2-1. Despite a slow offensive start and an unusual amount of penalties, the Warriors finished strong, adding another victory to their tough schedule. The Warriors enter a bye week, but take on the Etowah Eagles on October 2 at Emory Sewell Stadium. 

“Remember boys, enjoy your weekend, but we’re back practicing 8 am sharp Monday morning,” Queen said.