Photo: Northpoint quarterback Harrison Nowell finds an opening for a gain during the fourth quarter of Friday’s contest against Jackson Christian. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)
Aug 23, 2024 – While Mississippi high school football teams were showing off a bit and getting ready for their regular season next week, Tennessee high schools, including Northpoint Christian School, were playing for real on Friday night.
In the case of Northpoint, it was the annual meeting with Jackson (Tenn.) Christian that started the season this year at Trojan Field on the Northpoint campus.
Coach Tyler Gold’s Trojans were looking to break a four-game losing streak against the Eagles, but were forced to a fifth straight loss in Friday’s 28-26 loss. As SBEC, Northpoint won three in a row against Jackson Christian, in 1999, 2000, and 2009 and the Trojans lost a 2010 meeting in Jackson.
The series was renewed in 2021 and the teams have started the schedule each season since, but the Trojans have yet to get a win since the 2009 victory, 27-21.
Friday night, after falling behind 28-7 at halftime in a first half where Northpoint had a Harrison Nowell touchdown taken away by a penalty and the Eagles using Jay’Len Mosley as an open receiver, including a 28-yard pass catch and run for a score. Jackson Christian had a 21-7 lead at half with Northpoint’s Justin Henderson scoring the Trojans’ only touchdown on a two-yard run midway through the second quarter.
The Eagles came out in the second half with another Mosley touchdown catch on a 34-yard pass from quarterback Austin Kelley for a 28-7 lead in the last minute of the third quarter.
But as the Eagles seemed to use their talons to more tightly grasp a season-opening win, the Trojans came charging in the fourth quarter of play.
First, Nowell scored his second touchdown of the game from eight yards out with 6:47 remaining to trail 28-14. Then the Trojans recovered the ensuing onside kick to retake the football and thought they had a score from Demontae Dillard, who had crossed the goal line from about 35 yards away.
However, the second touchdown of the game for Northpoint was removed on a holding call, setting the Trojans back to try again.
This time, Dillard crossed the goal line for a score that counted, as he went over from four yards with 3:12 remaining to get Northpoint within 28-20. The extra point try was blocked by the Eagles and the eight-point difference remained.
Northpoint went to the onside-kick play book once again and it worked once again, with the Trojans retaining the football. That led to a seven-yard scoring run from Judd Albans with about 90 seconds left to get within 28-26.
Once again Northpoint was unable to punch in a two-point conversion try which led to Kelley taking a knee for two plays and ending the game.
“I don’t think we played great, especially offensively early, but we gave ourselves a chance to at least tie it with 1:30 left, and that shows who we are,” Gold said. “We’re gonna fight. Offensively, defensively, we’re not gonna give up, I promise you that.”
This year is a different year and a different look for Northpoint Christian, especially offensively where Jack Patterson last year was throwing darts to a bevy of receivers. Patterson is now with Central Arkansas University and this year it’s Nowell leading a new revamped offense.
“We’re not the same team,” Gold said. “So it’s going to take being perfect 11 guys executing, and each play we’ve got to have all 11 execute. He’s (Nowell) Superman around here. If you’ve ever seen him, he’s one of the best kids on our campus. He’s a high character kid. He’s fast, he’s strong, he just plays hard.”
With another game next Friday against Magnolia Heights coming up, Gold expects his team to get better after one contest is now completed.
“I love the fight and we’re gonna get better,” said Gold. “I know they’re gonna clock in and be ready to work on Monday.”
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