Blog LIVE Blog - Northside (3-0) at Salem (2-1)

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Ticking under a minute to go in the 3rd quarter, Salem goes back to the trap, though this time it's with Zavione Wood at tailback instead of Isaiah Persinger. He gains 6. The Spartans then go to the air with QB Hunter Chaney finding TE Avery Close for 6.

They run it with fullback Chandler Supthin for 1 yard. Time runs out to conclude the third quarter with Northside leading, and when the fourth quarter begins, it'll be 2nd & 9 from the 50 for a Spartans team trailing by 15 points.

 

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Salem runs for 4 yards to begin the 4th period, and on 3rd & 5, Chaney cannot connect with his intended target. The Spartans will punt and Northside will take over around their 11-yard line.

An important stand by the Northside defense. Now the Vikings will look to run clock. Salem has to be careful to keep QB Jalen Jackson in the pocket and not let him scramble.

 

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Chandler Sutphin and Zavione Wood stop QB Jalen Jackson on the read option play for Northside on second down for a loss of about 5. So now the Vikings have to be extra careful on 3rd & 15 from their own 6.

 

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An unbelievable TD connection for Northside on 3rd & 15 from their own 6 as QB Jalen Jackson finds Christian Fisher for a 94 yard scoring strike.

Fisher has 7 receptions for 161 yards on the night. He's haunted the Salem secondary time and time again. PAT is coming after an injury stoppage.

 

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The three-time defending State Champs are in big trouble. They are without their senior leader at QB in Jack Gladden as well as a key blocker in right tackle Glenn Compton. They're also young in the secondary.

But it doesn't get easier for the Spartans with a matchup against undefeated Blacksburg next week. The Bruins won 49-17 over Richlands tonight.

 

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We might've had another SportsCenter Top 10 Play as the catch by Shawn Collins is worthy of making it...

In fact, last night if you missed it on SportsCenter - the catch by Kevin Henderson of Manchester from QB Brendon Clark against Monacan was the No. 1 play on Top Ten Plays.

 

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Northside is burning some clock with the running game as Princton Hall rushes for 4, then 6 and breaks off a few more yards before Zavione Wood tracks him down at the 6:35 mark.

Hall reverses field and is tackled out of bounds at the 47 by Jorden McDonald. He's now up to 86 yards on 17 rushes.

 

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A loss of 4 as Salem's Anthony Haupt knifes in to drop the Northside ball carrier, Princton Hall, in the backfield. Then it's Shawn Collins keeping the run to the right by Hall to a minimal gain. On 3rd & long, it'll become 3rd & even longer with a false start. It's only the 5th penalty of the night for the visiting Vikings.

At the 4:42 mark, a holding penalty is declined because the run by Hall is short of moving the sticks. The Vikings will punt it back to Salem, which trails by two scores.

The Northside offensive line with Jacob Elliott, Christian Miller, Richard Reiter, Ethan Paitsel and Ethan Blank deserves a lot of credit for the job they've done against the Salem defensive front.

 

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With 4:11 to go, Salem begins at their own 37. They hand it off to Isaiah Persinger and he runs 14 yards into Northside territory. Another run for Persinger of double-digit yards - this time 12 - and the Spartans continue to march ahead.

 

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A completion down to the 21-yard line by Hunter Chaney to Shawn Collins. Then Chaney gains only about a yard or two on a run play, forcing Head Coach Stephen Magenbauer to burn a time-out.

Chaney has made some mistakes that are natural for a sophomore, thrust into a starter role after being a backup, is accustomed to, but he's shown progress from last week to this game.

A toss to Persinger gains 8, near the 10.

 

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On 3rd & 7 from the Northside 8 - QB Hunter Chaney fumbles the snap, picks it up quickly, rolls right and finds an open TE in Avery Close in the end zone for a TD.

PAT is upcoming...

 

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Even with two time-outs left, Salem Head Coach Stephen Magenbauer knows he can get the ball back, but recovering the onside kick is paramount. All Northside needs to get to 4-0 is a recovery and probably just one first down.

 

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Isaiah Stephens of Northside recovers the onside kick at his own 48. It was a quick and attempted slick onside kick try by Salem, but the Vikings were ready.

Would be totally shocked if the Vikings do anything but run the ball on these next few plays from their Pistol formation.

 

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QB Jalen Jackson keeps it, no gain as an illegal block in the back penalty is wiped away. Well, on second glance, the penalty is accepted. So it's 1st & 19 from their own 39 with 1:41. Hall runs for 7.

A time-out is burned by Salem, leaving them with one left and Northside facing 2nd & 12 from their own 46.

 

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Northside has 3rd & 1 from the Salem 43 after an 11-yard run from Christian Fisher. To salt it away, QB Jalen Jackson punches ahead, slips a tackle and rumbles down inside the Salem 10. We do have yellow laundry on the field.

It's a face-mask on Salem, so that'll do it. The Vikings are set to come away with their first win over Salem since 2013.

 

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