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North Huskies vs Harrison Warriors - at Bundrant Stadium Sep 13, 2019

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Offense

Team Stats

Defensive Stats

Game Recap

DEFENSE DEMOLISHES WARRIORS AS OFFENSE FLIES DOWN THE FIELD

The Husky defense left little question as to who was in charge in North's 49-6 demolishing of the Harrison Warriors.  The offense has had its moments of big plays throughout the season, but on Friday night, it was the defense that established superiority over North's opponent.

The high flying Husky offense was on display with senior Dylan McKinney leading the way with a pair of first quarter touchdown receptions from sophomore Ethan Brawdy that went 44 and 72 yards respectively.  North scored on seven of the nine possessions in which the offense touched the ball, but if you were there in Bundrant Stadium, you saw the defense 'come of age'.

The Huskies have had no problem scoring points this season.  Indeed, they are averaging 37 points per game.  Unfortunately, the previous two games had seen the defense surrender 39 and 40 points and the end result had not been favorable.

That was not the case Friday night.

ONLY PENALTY YARDS KEEP HARRISON IN THE GAME

After McKinney's first score just over two minutes into the game, the defense found themselves at midfield facing a Warrior offense that featured skill position players with size and speed.  In North's last two contests, that equation tended to favor the opponent.

1. On first down, a pass was tossed to the left in an attempt to isolate a big, fast receiver on a single defender with a blocker nearby.  Junior Capoleton Presswood zeroed in on the player with the ball and quickly dropped him for a two yard loss.

2. On second down, a fleet footed running back took a delayed handoff into the line.  The play was designed to lure the defenders into thinking the offense was going to throw the ball and draw the linebackers into pass coverage allowing the running back room to run.  North's linebackers were having none of the planned deception and seniors Nolan Bottoms and team captain Tanner Jackson dropped him for another two yard loss.

3. A pass on third down put senior James Butler head to head with Harrison's best player.  Butler was up to the task and dropped the receiver as soon as he caught the ball well short of the first down marker.

Unfortunately a roughing the kicker penalty on the punt gave Harrison a first down at the North 46.  Bottoms quickly re-established the tone with a nine yard sack of the quarterback on first down.  Jackson stuffed another runner on second down.  The defensive backfield held up their end of the bargain with good coverage on a third down pass and the Warrior threat ended in another punt.

McKINNEY BREAKS LOSE...AGAIN

After the offense experienced a three and out and Harrison took advantage of a short field to get a score, there were three minutes to play in the first quarter and the score was North 7 Harrison 6.  A nervous rumble went through the crowd that perhaps this could be a tight contest like the last four games against the Warriors.  After a penalty negated a big gain by Presswood, the Huskies faced second and 'forever' at their 28 yard line.

Brawdy took the snap and rolled to his right.  McKinney allowed the two receivers on the right to draw the defensive backfield toward them as he slid toward the sideline.  He delayed his aggressive turn up field until the defense committed to a double team on senior Alex Smith as he ran a post pattern.  Facing single man-to-man coverage, McKinney blazed a streak past the defender and the foot race was over before it began.  Brawdy evaded a defender long enough to plant his right foot and launched a strike to McKinney that hit him in the hands at midfield.  No one in town can catch the city champion hurdler when he has a full head of steam and the distance between him and the Warrior just got wider as he ran to the end zone.

THE FIRST OF MANY, MANY TURNOVERS FORCED BY THE DEFENSE

Following one of Alex Ozete's seven perfect extra point kicks and a kickoff, the Warriors trailed 14-6 and had the ball at their 40.  A pass interference penalty on first down had the defense again defending their own territory without having yielded any big gains.  A runner sprang loose and made it second down and short at the North 38 yard line.  That murmur heard earlier began to return.

This time it was senior J.T. Skinner who answered the call.

If there is a player in the city who is more disruptive to an opponent offense than Skinner, he has not yet appeared.  Skinner tucked into his explosive 'set' at the end position and tore into the Warrior backfield as the ball was snapped.  He sacked the quarterback for a 15 yard loss and suddenly Harrison was facing third and long from their 47 yard line.

The situation was nearly duplicated on the next play as Skinner flew past a would be blocker and got his arms around the quarterback's torso just as he went to release a pass down field.  The throw was errant and sophomore Achilles Johnson was the first to react.  He went up for the ball and came down with an interception just as the second quarter got under way.

SKINNER GETS A SCORE

With the ball at the Husky 25, the offensive line began blasting away at the Warrior defense.  The North juggernaut rode those blocks downfield as Presswood and Skinner alternated big gains up the middle.  Eight plays after the pick by Johnson, the Huskies faced first and goal at the Harrison nine.  On the snap, senior Adam Goebel blocked his man down the line into the defender next to him and effectively took both linemen out of action.  Alex Smith 'can openered' the linebacker out of the way, and Skinner recorded the first of his two rushing touchdowns on the night.  North went up 21-6

TWO FUMBLES IN TWO MINUTES

Nothing demoralizes a team like turnovers.  When the Warrior quarterback mishandled a handoff on their next possession, senior Almonzo Anderson snatched up the loose ball at the Harrison 18.  McKinney caught his third touchdown pass two plays later and North led 28-6

Less than two minutes had passed since the last turnover when senior Jake Townsend overwhelmed a would-be blocker and blew past him.  Townsend smothered the ball carrier and pried the ball loose as he tackled him.  Bottoms was nearby and recovered the ball at the Harrison 23.  Four plays later, Skinner picked his way through a demoralized Warrior defense and the Huskies took a commanding 35-6 lead.

THE DEFENSE BREAKS THE WARRIORS' SPIRIT

Despite sophomore T.J. Hankins' outstanding back-to-back plays on first and second down to throw runners for loss, the Warriors managed to complete a long pass that carried them into North territory.  Townsend again answered the call with a pair of tackles for no gain and Anderson defended a desperate fourth down pass.

North's first offensive turnover of the season resulted in a 'last gasp' from the Warriors.  After an interception gave Harrison the ball  at North's 37, the Warrior offense began to click.  As the clock wound down on the half, a receiver bulled his way to the North three yard line and it appeared as though Harrison would get the lift they needed with a score just before half.

If there is a player who typifies the attitude of the 2019 Huskies, it has to be team captain Tanner Jackson.  After recording 62 tackles for North as a junior, he reigns as their leading tackler as a senior.  But it's not just the numbers that describe the middle linebacker. 

Whenever the team needs him, wherever they need him to be, no matter which side of the ball, Tanner answers the call.

If Harrison could punch the ball in just before halftime, this game could still be in doubt.  Jackson was having none of that.  On first and goal he blew through the line on a blitz and sacked the quarterback for a nine yard loss.  Harrison called time out and had one last shot at the end zone before half.

The time out was apparently wasted against a competitor like Tanner Jackson.  On the final play of the half, he fought his way past a blocker specifically assigned to account for him.  In Tanner's case it was like a matador waving a red cape in front of a charging bull.  He sacked the quarterback again--this time FIFTEEN yards behind the line of scrimmage.

SECOND HALF MORE OF THE SAME

Following a half time ceremony to announce the induction of former Husky head coach Mike Wilson into the North Hall Of Fame, the Huskies continued their complete domination of the Warriors.  Senior Shawn McPherson recovered a loose ball on the opening kickoff and North quickly moved toward the end zone.  A pass from Brawdy to Smith was completed at the six yard line.  Alex Smith faced four defenders between him and the goal line with a chance to score the first varsity touchdown of his career.

The Warriors needed a few more players if they intended to stop him because the senior REFUSED to be denied the end zone.  North led 42-6 and the game moved to 'running clock' status following the score.

On Harrison's first play from scrimmage, junior tackle Gage Sales slammed into a runner  three yards behind the line of scrimmage.  Crushing the hapless runner, he stripped the ball loose and Skinner recovered the fumble at the Harrison 36.  A steady dose of sophomore T.J. Hankins running plays carried the ball down the field.  With a first down at the 11, Sales turned his defender around and Smith took out the linebacker.  Hankins rambled through the hole and carried a group of four Warriors from the three yard line into the end zone.  North had their final score and won the game 49-6.

For the first time in five years, the Huskies beat the Warriors.  Admittedly, this Harrison team is not the best example of their talented squads of the past.  But the North defense finally recorded a game without giving up big plays on the back end and, certainly, the Warriors possessed the speed to produce such plays.  The Husky defense is shoring up and just in time for the 'meat and potatoes' part of the schedule.

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