Northview opened up its district play with a huge 27-20 victory against the South Walton Seahawks at South Walton Friday night.

The Chiefs (2-0, 1-0) battled to pick up the win against a South Walton team that made it to the playoffs last season.

Chiefs head coach Sid Wheatley said it was an important win for his program.

“First, I have to say how great this win is for our program,” Wheatley said. “We faced adversity on the road against a good South Walton team, and getting a win is huge for us.”

The Chiefs took control early as they took a 14-0 lead into halftime, but faced a tough second half.

A couple of problems on special teams allowed the Seahawks to get on the scoreboard in the second half and make it a close game.

Wheatley said his team played hard, and made the most of their chances.

“Our offense and defense did a really good job throughout the game,” Wheatley said. “Going into halftime with a 14-0 lead was important, but in the second half we had some miscues on a couple of punt snaps, which allowed them to get back in the game. We were able to get some young guys into some new roles tonight, and it paid off.”

Defeating a playoff team from last season as well as notching their first district win is important for the Chiefs.

Wheatley said winning this game is a move in the right direction.

“Obviously, we want to start district off on the right foot,” Wheatley said. “We knew this would be a good game, and winning especially on the road is a big step. We are still a work in progress, but we are moving in the right direction.”

The Chiefs are off next week, but host their first home game on Sept. 24 against Bozeman. Kick off is set for 7 p.m.