A trick play and an unsung hero made all the difference for visiting Nanih Waiya on Thursday night, as the Warriors took a crucial 14-2 Region 2-1A win over rival Noxapater before a beyond “packed” house.
In a game that featured such stars as Nanih Waiya’s Donovan and Devean Turner, Shia Moore, Tylan Glass, Austin Sanders and Cody Warren and Noxapater’s K.D. Carter, Raheem Hathorn, Ryan Whitfield and Chase Ray, it was another solid, but unsung player that picked just the right time for his star to shine it’s brightest.
Nanih Waiya junior wide receiver/defensive back Blake Young, who wears No. 8, hauled in a back-breaking 60-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter and picked off a pair of Noxapater passes to help season the Warriors seventh consecutive win in the series between the two schools.
“(8) played a huge game, Blake Young played a huge game for us,” NW head coach James Courtney said. “It changed the game for us. He made that huge catch and a couple picks and played great. He is a great player for us. He does his job, he works hard, and he made some great plays tonight.”
Nanih Waiya held a 6-2 led at the half, thanks to a 25-yard topdown pass from Donovan Turner to Sanders in the first quarter. Noxapater picked up a safety in the second quarter when Ray tackled the NW runner in the end zone following a goal line stand by the Warriors that gave them the ball deep in their own territory.
It was on Nanih Waiya’s second drive of the second half that the Warriors decided the time was right for a little trickery.
On second-and-eight from their own 40, the Warriors ran what first looked like an end around to Glass, however as he was moved into the open near the right hash he stood up and hit a wide open Young streaking across the middle of the field in what resulted in a 60-yard touchdown play. Donovan Turner then passed to Glass for the two-point conversion to Mae it 14-2 with five minutes left in the third quarter.
“That’s one we have been working on all year and we wanted to save it for the appropriate time,” Courtney said. “It was a great call by Paul (Courtney, the offensive coordinator) at the right time and it was huge for us.”
“That was a big play when it was 6-2 and they hit us on the halfback pass,” said Noxapater head coach Casey Orr. “But at the same time, what I was just telling the guys is that you have three drives that get inside of the 20 and you don’t score. You look up and you see that you didn’t put any points on the board offensively, but you have had your chances.”
Noxapater actually ran 31 of the first 40 offensive plays of the game, but still trailed 6-2.
Courtney said he knew exactly what his team needed to do going into the second half and he made it very clear to his team at halftime.
“Hey, we are Nanih Waiya and we have got to do what we do and that’s line up and run the ball,” Courtney said. “Our young offensive line answered a lot fo questions tonight against the best defensive line in the state.”
Donovan Turner finished the night with 73 rushing yards on 16 carries, while hitting on 9-of-14 passes for 101 yards. Sanders had six catches for 64 yards, while Young had two for 63 and Devean Turner two for 27.
Raheem Hathorn led Noxapater with 90 rushing yards on 23 carries and caught two passes for 28 yards. Carter ran for 86 yards on 16 carries.
The win left Nanih Waiya alone at the top of the Region 2-1A standings with a 4-0 record, while West Lowndes is at 4-1, Noxapater at 3-1 and Smithville at 2-1. Only four of the nine teams in the region will qualify for the playoffs, with the top two assured of first-round home games.
This week Nanih Waiya, now 5-2 overall on the season, visits Bruce in a non-region contest. The Warriors already hold a key 35-24 win over league foe West Lowndes.
Noxapater, also 5-2 overall, visits French Camp Academy Friday night and then hosts West Lowndes on Oct. 18 in a pair of key region contests.
