Varsity football willed their way to a gritty 19-7 victory over the Hillgrove Hawks in the rain on Friday night. The win marked the Warriors’ third straight, improving their record to 3-3.

“To go 2-0 in a region like this is huge,” Coach Queen said following the victory. “But we’ve got an opportunity to play one of the top teams in the state next week.”

After a scoreless third quarter, the teams continued to trade defensive stands until senior receiver DJ Render sparked the offense with a 48-yard reception on third down. Eight plays later, junior running back CJ Cole bulldozed through multiple Hillgrove defenders to give NC an insurmountable 19-7 lead, with under five minutes remaining, an 18-yard rush.

Junior running back Jai Erwin began the scoring with a two-yard touchdown, and junior receiver Quannie Green added a 48-yard score on a reverse to give NC a commanding 13-0 lead. But Hillgrove responded with a quarterback switch in the second quarter that temporarily sparked the offense as QB Hunter Arters drove the offense down the field and threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to pull the Hawks within six.

NC’s next game comes on the road against sixth ranked McEachern, with bragging rights, and most importantly, region supremacy, on the line.  

“It’s great to get off to a good region start, but this week will be a test,” junior QB Will Lovett said. “First place is at stake.”