A quick look at the stat sheet following Nanih Waiya’s 16-0 season-opening loss to MHSAA Class 4A West Lauderdale on Friday night will tell most observers all they need to know.
The Warriors were continually pinned down on their own end of the field due to strong kickoffs and punting by WL, combined with Nanih Waiya penalties and the Warriors inability to move the ball offensively.
Nanih Waiya, now 0-1 on the season heading into a Friday night home contest against Class 2A Union, managed only 53 total yards off offense and just three first downs while going 1-out-of-10 in third down conversions.
“We struggled offensively blocking and we dropped a touchdown pass,” said NW second-year head coach James Courtney. “Were were one or two blocks away from popping it, but just couldn’t’ get it done. That’s the way it goes sometimes.”
While disappointed with the loss, Courtney said his team played and hard and the future is bright for the defending MHSAA Class 1A State Champion Warriors.
“I though our effort was good,” he said. “We just have to get things together and stay the course. I promise you we are going to get better. That was a good football team we played.”
West Lauderdale senior Braden Luke had a big impact on the game Friday night.
He knocked through a 32-yard first-quarter field goal and hauled in an 18-yard touchdown pass from Eli Bryan in the second quarter to push the Knights to a 10-0 halftime lead. Luke’s affect on the game didn’t end there, as he boomed three of his four kick-offs into the end zone and punted four times for 173 yards, including a 60-yarder.
“He is a stud,” Courtney said of Luke. “We just never really got out of the hole offensively.”
After waiting out a 90-minute lightning delay to start the game, It didn’t take West Lauderdale long to get on the scoreboard. After three plays that failed to net any yardage on their first possession, the Knights were able to keep their drive going when Nanih Waiya muffed Luke’s punt and WL recovered on the Nanih Waiya 30-yard line. Four plays later Luke split the uprights with his field goal to put the winners up 3-0.
West Lauderdale’s lone first-half touchdown came at the conclusion of an unusual 16-play, 51-yard drive that was kept alive thanks to a 6-yard fourth down conversion run by Bryan, and a pass interference call on third and 8 that gave the Knights the ball on the NW 14-yard line. Three plays later Bryan hit a wide-open Luke, who pulled the ball in on his fingertips in the left flat, and rumbled into the end zone. Luke’s point after made it 10-0.
The Knights last score of the game came with four minutes left to play when Jackson Parker picked up his own team’s fumble and ran one yard for the score to close out an eight-play, 81-yard drive that was highlighted by a 48-yard pass from Bryan to Parker.
Shia Moore rushed for 50 yards on 14 carries, while Donovan Turner completed 2-of-7 passes for seven yards and Austin Sanders had one catch for eight.
Tylan Glass led the Warriors with 12 tackles, while while Taylor Higginbotham had seven stops and an interception and Dawson Eaves recovered a fumble for NW.
The Warriors are expecting another big challenge when Union visits on Friday night.
“They are going to be in a wide-open spread on offense,” Courtney said. “They like to throw it. The quarterback is a dual threat guy.”
Union rolled to a 42-21 season-opening win over Choctaw Central last week. The UHS Yellowjackets finished the night with 308 yards rushing and 474 yards of total offense. Colby Ferguson hit on 10-of-11 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for 124 yards on 11 carries.
