By By Connie Nowlin Managing editor
Old rivals met Friday night at Northview High School as the Chiefs took on the Escambia County High Blue Devils.
The Chiefs were looking for their second win on the season, but it was not to be as they went down in defeat, 49-23.
The game started out as two evenly matched teams, with the Devils receiving the kick, and moving the ball down the field, but failing to score on the first possession. In the next series, Northview QB Nick Driver was intercepted on the 25 yard line and the ball went into the end zone for a Blue Devil touchdown. The PAT turned into two points on a pass play and with 7:17 left in the first quarter, the score was 8-0, Blue Devils.
In the next series the teams did little but trade penalties, and the series was marked by a Chief recovery of a Blue Devil fumble. Northview could not capitalize on the gift, though, as Driver was intercepted again to end the quarter with the score still 8-0.
Early in the second quarter, an intercepted pass off the Devils was turned into a field goal for the Chiefs.
The Devils were again intercepted in the next series but the Chiefs were forced to kick the ball away.
The Devils moved the ball down the field in five plays, but were intercepted on the 3 yard line. The Devil defense held Northview and the Chiefs were forced to kick the ball away.
After three incomplete passes, Dereke Martin found Justin Gross, who carried the ball into the end zone to take the score to 14-3 with 59 seconds left in the half.
Northview struggled to get its motor cranked before the end of the half, but the rally was short-lived as they were intercepted again, and the half ended with the score at 14-3 in favor of Atmore.
Th Blue Devils came back determined to put the game away and marched solidly down the field on the first possession of the second half, and they found themselves in the end zone again with 7:32 left in the third quarter. The PAT was no good, and the score was 20-3.
The Devils never looked back from that point, in spite of a Northview touch down on the next series, taking the game to 20-10 with 6:04 left in the quarter.
A group of neat sharp passes from Martin took Escambia back to the end zone time and again, making two TDs inside three minutes. The first was called back on a holding penalty, but the answering TD took the score to 27-10 with 3:31 left in the quarter.
Northview received the kick, and found the end zone in two plays, and made the PAT stick. The score was then 27-17 with 2:34 remaining in the quarter, but the scorefest wasn't over yet.
ECHS recovered the kick and it went to the end zone on a long run by Chris Simpson to take the score to 33-17 with 2:10 remaining, and the score stayed that way to end the third quarter.
A penalty against Atmore started the fourth quarter, and Northview made it work for them, as they found the end zone quickly, but the PAT was no good, taking the score to 33-23 with 10:22 left in the game.
But Atmore came right back, with Martin keeping the ball for a 55-yard gallop down the field, taking the score to 39-23 the PAT turned into two more points on a diving pass and the score was 41-23 with 9:50 left in the half.
The Devil defense kept the Chiefs locked up for the remainder of the evening, with Driver tossing another interception that turned into a Devil touchdown with 7:57 remaining and a run into the end zone on the PAT took the score to 49-23 in the blue's favor.
A tired Northview offense could not make any ground against a bigger, stronger Atmore defense, and they held on to end the Chief's hopes of another win.