The Nanih Waiya football team is no stranger to adversity. That’s why when a few things didn’t go the Warriors’ way on Friday night, they were absolutely not gong to panic.
Despite giving up a long kickoff return for a touchdown and another touchdown on a controversial play, the Warriors used a stifling defense to take an important 35-24 road win over West Lowndes last week.
“They are as athletic as anybody you will play,” said NW head coach James Courtney of West Lowndes. “Once they get it going In the right direction they are tough. Our kids overcame some things and fought for the win.”
The Warriors have been battling a bevy of injuries throughout the season and will continue to be shorthanded this week.
“We are just going to have to keep on toughing it out and playing until we get those other guys back,” Courtney said.
This week the Warriors (3-2), winners of three straight, face another tough road challenge in traditional rival French Camp.
“They always play us tough and they are hard to beat at home,” Courtney said of the 1-3 Panthers, who lost a shootout to Tupelo Christian last week. “French Camp is a big game for us. They are always going to play hard.”
Courtney said he is not worried in the least about his team looking past French Camp to the Warriors Oct. 3 match-up with arch-rival Noxapater. “I don’t foresee that happening at all. We would be crazy to do that. This is just too big of a game for us.”
The Warriors jumped out to a 19-0 lead against West Lowndes thanks to a 9-yard touchdown run by Austin Sanders, a 7-yard scoring run by Donovan Turner, and a 28-yard pass from Turner to Tylan Glass.
The Panthers then responded with an 85-hard kickoff return for a score and a 49-yard touchdown run to go with a pair of two-point conversions to cut the NW lead to 19-16.
Nanih Waiya responded with a 57-yard touchdown pass from Turner to Glass and a two-point conversion run by Devean Turner. In the third quarter WL scored on a 20-yard pass. Nanih Waiya closed out the scoring with a 1-yard touchdown run by Donovan Turner and a two-point conversion pass form Turner to J.T. Stokes.
Nanih Waiya finished the night with 383 yards of total offense to just 115 for West Lowndes. Turner rushed for 100 yards on 18 carries, while hitting on 7 of 12 passes for 155 yards.
Sanders had 73 rushing yards on 14 carries while Devean Turner had eight attempts for 55 yards. Glass had three catches for 96 yards and Stokes had two for 36.
Glass had eight tackles for NW, while Devean Turner and Taylor Higginbotham had seven each. Sanders intercepted a pass for the Warriors.
