Northside prevails over Cave in a close, hard fought game 20-12
Dwight Bogle Field, Roanoke, Va. – In a game much closer than the eight point margin, the Northside Vikings got their first win of the year behind the legs of Junior QB 10 Sidney Webb. The Northside signal caller ran for 99 yards and a score on 21 carries and was 8 of 16 for 101 yards with a TD throwing the pigkskin. Viking Head Coach Scott Fisher was high on his QB, “He is the best player in the valley, in my personal opnion… a great kid.” Webb had a hand in 200 of the Vikings 250 yards of offense, but it still took a defensive fumble recovery to put the Vikes over the top. 
In a tight ballgame, tied at 6-6, Cave QB 12 Skylor Griffiths was stripped of the football
attempting to get some extra yards. DB 12 Nathan Funk recovered it at the Knight’s twenty six. Four plays later QB 10 Webb put Northside up for good 13-6. Cave Spring Head Coach Nick Leftwich is still looking for that first win, “Our effort is where it needs to be. Our execution is what needs to be fixed.”
Northside enters the field Thursday night
First Quarter – Quarter one had the feeling of a couple of boxers feeling each other out in the ring. Cave took the opening kick and methodically moved the ball into Viking territory.
Knight RB 7 Landon Altizer looks for a gap
RB 7 Landon Altizer 18-yards on 4 carries and twice QB 12 Griffiths found WR 20 Owen Sweeney for eight yard first down tosses. The Knights reached the twenty-one before a illegal motion penalty but them behind the sticks after a first down incompletion.
Another errant toss and Coach Leftwich decided to roll the dice. Northside LB 42 Julius Oliver ended that assault with a forceful sack of QB 12 Griffiths from the left side back out to the thiry-four.
Viking LB 42 Julius Oliver unloads into Cave QB 12 Skylor Griffiths
Northside countered but stalled at the Knight forty five and had to kick it back.
Second Quarter –
Cave’s second drive was stopped early in the second quarter by DB 7 Lawrence Cole’s interception and 7-yard return to the Cave Spring forty seven.
Northside DB 7 Lawrence Cole gets the interception
Northside QB 10 Sidney Webb evades Cave Spring’s pressure
Vikings seized that momentum and took it in for the game’s first points. The two biggest plays were at the hands of QB 10 Webb. The Junior darted 18-yards down to the seventeen, and then after a Northside holding penalty, hit WR 14 Cameron Abshire for 23-yards to the two.
Viking RB 2 Jerel Rhodes starts the scoring
Two plays later, RB 2 Jerel Rhodes took it in for points from there. Northside’s lead was only 6-0 though, as QB/LB 12 Griffith bulled his way up the middle to block the point after.
QB/LB 12 Skylor Griffiths blocks the Vikes extra point
Cave answered back. After a nice 24-yard kickoff return by Kameron Geralds out to the Northside forty-eight, the Knights were in business in good field position. The Northside defense actually held the Knights after three downs, forcing a punt, but WR/DB 12 Nathan Funk ran into P/WR 11 Bryce Cooper and Cave kept the ball. It took Coach Leftwich’s troops ten plays from there to notch the game at 6-6. A big run by RB 31 Cam Parker for nine yards on fourth down kept the drive alive.
Cave Spring’s QB 12 Skylor Griffith scores from a few yards out
QB 12 Griffith’s did the final honors from three yards out with only :26 left in the half. The all important point after by K/WR/LB 20 Owen Sweeney missed just right and the game stayed tied going into the break.
Third Quarter –
Northside started the second half with the penalty bug. Two holding calls, kept the Vikes behind the chains and eventually forced a punt. Facing third and twenty, LB 20 Sweeney sacked QB 10 Webb and Fisher’s Vikings had to kick it away. Northside P 24 Jeremiah Peterson got off a 27-yarder with no return. Cave’s first second half drive would prove even more unfruitful. After two motion penalties, QB 12 Griffiths fumbled the football on second effort. DB/WR 12 Funk fell on the loose ball at the Cave twenty six.
Northside recovers a fumble
It took QB 10 Webb only four plays to capitalize on the Viking good fortune.
Northside extends their lead
This time Northside K 24 Peterson would complete the extra point conversion and Northside led 13-6 with 5:15 left in the stanza. The two teams traded punts on their next possessions before the Knights tigtened up the affair again.
After a short punt deep in their own territory, Cave dialed up a potential tying score.
Knight QB 12 Griffiths takes it in up the middle
Fourth Quarter –
Griffith’s made it count on a 21-yard run up the middle only :07 into the fourth quarter. But again the PAT jumped up and bit the Knights again as it did in a close 14-12 loss last week to Hidden Valley. This time K 20 Sweeney’s boot was blocked by the center of the line. Northside still led, but just by a hair, 13-12.
The final nail in the coffin came on Northside’s next drive. The visitors used up clock and real estate driving the ball 65-yards, using up half of the quarter to put more distance between themselves and Cave. For Cave, the salt in the wound, was that the score came on a 4th and goal at the seven. 
QB 10 Webb rolled right and found his favorite target, WR 14 Abshire in the front right corner of the endzone for six more points.
Viking WR 14 Cameron Abshire hauls in the final TD pass
Coach Fisher raved about Number fourteen’s abilities. “Cam (Abshire) is just steady. If he wants an opportunity to play at the end of the year somewhere, he will get that. He’s a basketball guy. We are tickled to have him. I thought he played well.”
Peterson hit the point after and Northside’s lead was now 20-12, and that’s how the contest would end.
After the game Coach Leftwich didn’t pull any punches about the Knight’s woes, “We always preach little things, little things, little things. And little things keep beating us. We need to get our PAT game right, fumbled snaps, penalties, getting behind the chains… missed assignments on defense. We made mistakes and that’s football, but we are moving in the right direction.” Leftwich wasn’t happy with the outcome, but he does feel like they’re moving in the right direction, “We are in position to win football games. We just need to finally do it. I’m proud of the kids effort.
Cave Spring Head Coach Nick Leftwich works the sidelines
We fix the execution piece and we are right where we need to be.”
Viking Coach Scott Fisher also was impressed with Cave Spring comparing them to Salem which is where Leftwich played his high school ball. “They (Cave Spring) played very well. It’s like playing Salem. They’re identical. They (even) warm up the same way.”
“They have a very good football team, and the kids are buying in… they play hard.”
Next up for Northside is a trip back at Bogle Field to take on upstart Hidden Valley (2-0), while Cave Spring travels to take on a tough Glenvar Highlander squad (2-0). – Cap’n Crunch
Scoring:
2nd Quarter–
8:06 NS: Rhodes 1-yard TD run, PAT blocked
5:13 CS: Griffiths 3-yard TD run, Sweeney PAT no good
3rd Quarter–
5:15 NS: Webb 5-yard TD run, Peterson PAT
4th Quarter–
11:53 CS: Griffiths 21-yard TD run, Sweeney PAT blocked
6:47 NS: Webb 7-yard TD pass to Abshire, Peterson PAT
Game Stats:
Rushing:
NS – Webb 21/99, TD, Rhodes 11/47, TD, Cole 2/9, Team 2-(-6)
CS – Griffiths 17/48, 2TDs, Altizer 9/32, Monsour 5/10, Parker 3/14
Passing:
NS – Webb 8/16, 101, TD
CS – Griffiths 4/9, 30, INT
Receiving:
NS – Abshire 6/64, TD, Cole 1/30, Rhodes 1/5
CS – Sweeney 3/24, Winesett 1/6
Punting:
NS – Peterson 4/24 yd avg
CS – Cooper 2/35 yd avg
Returns:
NS – Cole 1/7 (INT), Mcginnis 1/(-2)
CS – Geralds 3/85, Parker 1/13