Going into Friday night’s game with Ethel, Nanih Waiya football coach James Courtney knew what his team needed to do to have a chance at the playoffs and that was win by eight points.
So with five seconds left in a tied game and one of the best kickers in the state, the Warriors went for it on fourth and 3. Quarterback Jake Vick responded with a 3-yard run and then completed the two-point conversion to give Nanih Waiya a 30-22 win over Ethel, securing the necessary points they needed to have a chance to make the playoffs.
The Warriors are now 3-6 on the season and will host top-ranked Velma Jackson this Thursday in the regular-season finale.
It was an exciting end to the game and one that brought a smile to Courtney’s face.
“We were very proud of our kids,” Courtney said. “They played extremely hard against a really good Ethel football team. We had a six-minute drive to open the game and an eight-minute drive to close the game. We were excited for the kids because that opened up the chance for us to get in the playoffs. We need some help from Noxapater to get there but we did what we needed to do.”
The Warriors got the ball to start the game and drove 66 yards in 13 plays and scored on a 1-yard run by Briceton Boler with 5:34 left in the first quarter. Vick’s PAT was good and the Warriors took an early 7-0 lead.
But Ethel answered right back with a 51-yard run from the quarterback and converted the two-point conversion to take an 8-7 lead.
The Warriors put together another long drive as they went 65 yards in 10 plays. Vick capped off the drive when he hit Gavin Daniel on a 16-yard touchdown pass with 10:03 left in the second quarter. Vick’s PAT was good and Nanih Waiya led 14-8.
The Warriors got break when Boler recorded an Ethel fumble. The Warriors then struck quickly as Vick hit Joe Wylie Duett on a 65-yard touchdown pass with 7:12 left in the half. Vick ran in the two-point conversion and the Warriors led 22-8.
“Being able to hit some passes were huge,” Courtney said. “Being able to throw and catch was a big part of it. We’ve missed some passes that might have won us a game or two. So hitting those passes were huge and a big part in the win.”
The Tigers answered with a long drive as they went 91 yards in 14 plays, thanks in part to a fake punt out of their end zone. The Tigers capped off the drive with a 1-yard run and converted the two-point conversion with 13 seconds left in the half to cut the score to 22-16.
The second half was a quick one as each team got just two possessions. Ethel put together an 11-play drive but turned the ball over on downs. Nanih Waiya returned the favor as they went on an eight-play drive but lost the ball on a fumble.
Ethel then went 85 yards in eight plays and scored on a 33-yard run with 8:41 left in the game. The try for two failed as Ethel tied the game at 22-16.
Nanih Waiya got the ball and went on an epic 17 play drive as Vick dove in the end zone as time expired to give the Warriors the win. Vick then hit Daniel on the two-point conversion to give the Warriors the eight-point win.
“We had to win by eight to have a chance to make the playoffs,” Courtney said. “I didn’t tell the kids that before the game and they were kind of looking at me when it was five seconds left. I told them they just had to trust me. It wasn’t to rub anything in Ethel’s face, it’s just what we had to do to be able to have a chance to make the playoffs.”
The Warriors had 174 yards rushing and 116 passing for 290 yards of total offense.
Vick was 7-of-10 passing for 116 yards while Daniels had five catches for 22 yards. Duett had two catches for 78 yards. Vick led the rushing attack with 78 yards on 13 carries while Boler had 44 yards on 21 carries. Isaiah Russey had 51 yards on nine carries.
This week’s game
The Warriors will be at home this week as they host Velma Jackson for Senior night.
The Falcons are 8-0 on the season and coming off a 73-7 shellacking of French Camp.
“They are something else,” Courtney said. “The have a couple of Division I players and are really good at what they do. We just want to play our best game and be as good as we can be. If good old Noxapater can help us out and beat Ethel, we will be in the playoffs. We did what we had to do against Ethel to get in.”
Velma Jackson has outscored opponents 407-25 this season and has four shutouts.
