Northern wins over Northwest 42-10 in a non-conference rivalry game
Megan Harkey, editor in chief of Northwest Horizons News
At home, Northern beat Northwest 42-10 tonight in a hard earned win after a strong start to their season. The Nighthawks are 3-1 and the Vikings are now 2-2. Both teams came in with roaring student sections and the will to win.
The rivalry game kicked off quickly in favor of the Vikings. They made it to the thirteen yard line before an interception was made by Northwest’s Cam Carter. However the defense slowed the Vikings down and forced a 3 point field goal for the first score of the game by Cameron Tippett.
In the second quarter, the Nighthawks came out running as their first touchdown was scored by Rashawn Pleasant in the first ten seconds. With a successful extra point attempt, they led over the Vikings 7-3.
Their play was maximized when Northwest fumbled the ball at the fifteen yard line from the Northern punt. This brought on a tough play by Nothern’s Nyles Mosley who pushed through Northwest’s defensive line to make another touchdown for the Nighthawks.
With ten minutes and thirty seconds left in the second quarter, Northern led 14-3.
The Vikings responded with the following possession when Northwest’s quarterback Micah Salmon gave a miraculous pass to Brandon Thomas. Thomas spun around his defender to catch the ball, but the Nighthawks overcame their attempt by recovering a fumble 3 yards before a touchdown.
The half ended with another failed offensive attempt by the Vikings because of a Nighthawk pass interception.
The first half created a great lead for Northern as once seen in their game against the Ragsdale Tigers on September 7.
The Vikings came out strong in the third quarter with an immediate touchdown by Xavier Simmons from a 72 yard run after the initial kickoff. The extra point by Tyler Lovin put Northwest back in the game with a score of 14-10.
The Nighthawks responded with another touchdown by Jordan Mcinnis, and another extra point to increase their lead to 21-10 with 7:22 minutes remaining.
After an incomplete pass between Northwest’s Brandon Thomas and Salmon, the Nighthawks attacked with the third touchdown of the quarter. Kareem Murchison made several carries and scored by pushing through Viking defense from the 4 yard line.
Murchison had a high statistical game with a multitude of yards for the Nighthawks.
“I got a lot of carries, but I didn’t do everything myself,” Murchison said. “It was an all around game and we did well.”
The third quarter ended with a score of 28-10 with the Nighthawks in the lead.
The final quarter showed the merciless Nighthawks score two more touchdowns. Jordan Mcinnis scored for the second time that game by spinning around defenders with quick footwork. Then, Trey Ruff scored another one with 5:40 minutes remaining in the game. The score was 42-10, and the Vikings were not able to grasp another touchdown in the time remaining.
The game ended in the Nighthawk’s possession with 2:29 remaining. Overall, the Nighthawk offense and defense that has fueled their 3-1 record continued through tonight.
Murchison is proud of his team and himself as they came in with intentions to win. Against Viking competition, they aimed for another win to add to their record.
“My teammates and I did well and (Northwest) gave us good competition,” Murchison said.
Viking head coach Kevin Wallace appreciates Northern’s hard earned record and is looking towards the future for his team.
He also sees the success they had this game as their defense excelled in spurts.
“We got some good drives, good stops, and held them on lots of things, but we just couldn’t get the football game,” Wallace said.
At half time, Northern Alumni, Keenan Allen, was honored for his excellence in the sport of football. After his success in Greensboro, he played at California University and was then drafted with the LA Chargers. His elite rookie year pushed him through his time as a professional and he is now an elite athlete. His jersey, number 21, was also retired in honor of his legacy.