August 22, the NC Warriors (1-1) faced the McEachern Indians (2-0) in a battle between two powerhouse programs. Both teams opened their seasons in stark contrast to each other, with the Warriors holding off the Archer Tigers (28-14). In the win, sophomore Zachary Belyeu (8) scored three touchdowns and rushed for 119 yards on 14 carries. On the other hand, the Indians opened up their season with an impressive win against the Walton Raiders (1-1), rolling past them (50-17). A similar tale would prove to ultimately become the Warriors’ fate, with the Indians winning the game (0-21).
“We’re going to take what they give us. I mean, if they take away our run, Teddy is capable of exposing them with a pass, and if they draw [them in], then we can run the football but we’re very talented on the offensive line I feel like we can do either. We made some mistakes. I don’t think it’s because of what we were doing it was we were playing behind the chain [due to] the penalties early on,” head coach Shane Queen said.
The Warriors struggled on both sides of the ball. The defense allowed three touchdowns, while offensively, the Warriors struggled to find yardage. Junior quarterback Teddy Jarrard (2) ultimately saw trouble in the pass game, throwing for only a 42% completion. Penalties also plagued the Warriors’ attempts to advance and stop the ball. NC received numerous flags through the duration of the evening, a recurring problem the past two weeks for the Warriors.
A bright spot for the Warriors came on the defensive end. Unfortunately, it occurred in the fourth quarter, when cornerback Keshwan Alexis (4) recovered a fumble for the Warriors. A positive for Warrior fans,the NC defense has only allowed five touchdowns over the last two weeks.
Unique circumstances have accompanied this Warrior away game. With McEachern’s home stands remaining under renovation, the band, student section, as well as parents and friends sat behind the end zone. With this advertised as a popular game of the week, in addition to Ace Bailey’s jersey retirement and the Indians home opener, tickets became hard to come by. Sales ended far before kickoff, causing numerous attendees to watch from outside the stadium.
“I mean, this is going to be a playoff atmosphere. We don’t want our guys to be worried about the fans or stuff behind us [because] we have to get ready no matter where we go. I am very excited to see how our fans and players respond. You know the game is played between the lines. It doesn’t matter where the fans are or the band, we need to focus on the task at hand,” Queen said.
Warrior football looks to bounce back August 29 against the East Coweta Indians (0-2). Similarly to NC, the Indians come into the game off of a (56-60) loss against Newman (2-0), before returning to Emory Sewell Stadium on September 5. Needless to say, this past week presented a test for the Warriors that will hopefully boost team morale.
