By By Adam Prestridge
Northview head coach Cody Keene kept a positive attitude and challenged his players in the locker room at halftime Friday night against region foe Baker despite the score being knotted 6-6.
The challenge was simple: stop committing penalties and maintain possession of the football.
"The only thing we really said is if we hadn't turned the football over and made a few mistakes, we felt like we would have been ahead 21-6 at halftime," Keene said. "We didn't do a lot of fussing. We made a couple of adjustments, but the biggest thing we told them was to stop making penalties and no turnovers."
The Chiefs (3-2, 2-0) answered the challenge in a big way; scoring 28 unanswered points to claim a 34-6 win over the Gators.
"They did a great job the second half," Keene said. "I was real pleased with them."
Baker scored first midway through the second quarter when junior quarterback Cameron Domangue bulled his way through the Northview defense from one yard out. The PAT was no good giving the visitors a 6-0 lead.
The Chiefs answered back on the ensuing drive marching down the field and scoring on a 10-yard run by senior running back Farrin Jackson.
The PAT was no good tying the game, 6-6.
The Chiefs dominated the second half and Gators head coach Bob Kellogg was not surprised by the home team's sudden surge.
"We knew coming into the game that Northview's athleticism was so much better than ours and trying to contain their athletes was just more than we could handle in the second half," he said.
Northview scored on its first possession of the second half marching down the field thanks to big play after big play. Senior running back Nakita Myles scored on a one-yard run and Jackson added the two-point conversion to put the Chiefs on top, 14-6.
The Chiefs scored on their final three possessions of the game, one in the third and two in the fourth to cap off the win, 34-6.
Jackson scored first on a 61-yard scamper into the end zone late in the third quarter and junior place kicker James "Skooter" Hamilton added the PAT. Myles followed up that score with a four-yard plunge and Hamilton added the PAT. Jackson put the final points of the game on the board on a one-yard run, but Hamilton's kick sailed wide right.
The Chiefs chalked up 370 yards of total offense including 216 yards on the ground on 31 carries. Jackson led the backfield with five carries for 123 yards, three touchdowns and a two-point conversion. Myles added 100 yards on 15 carries and two touchdowns.
Northview junior quarterback Jeff Price had an impressive night on offense as well, completing 6-of-9 passes for 138 yards.
Myles and Jackson each picked off one of Domangue's passes for turnovers. Senior linebacker James Lewis led the Chiefs' defense with 12 tackles and Desmond Hunter added six. Senior defensive end Cordaryl Lowery, Jackson and Myles finished the game with five tackles each.
Friday night Northview plays host to Blountstown for Homecoming.