West Liberty-Salem senior Josh Wilcoxon rushed for 157 yards and three touchdowns as the Tigers improved to 5-1 and 1-0 in the division.
WLS rushed for 237 yards in the game, possessing the ball for more than 30 minutes.
“The kids just came out and played gutsy football in the second half,” McGill said. “We challenged them to be physical in the second half. Credit to Northeastern, they’re a good football team and I thought they did a really good job. But when the game was on the line and our guys needed first downs, that offensive line got the job done and our running backs protected the football. That’s not easy in this type of weather.”
Northeastern senior Diezel Taylor threw for 122 yards and two TDs and rushed for another score for the Jets, (4-2, 0-1). Jets coach Jake Buchholtz called it a “great high school football game.”
“It’s one of those things where someone is on the wrong end,” Buchholtz said. “We made more mistakes in the second half. I thought they controlled the ball. I think they had four fourth down conversions on that opening drive (of the second half). Our defense has got to find a way to get stops, get off the field and our offense has to play complementary football.”
Tigers senior Gideon Cole hit a 24-yard field on the opening possession of the game, giving West Liberty-Salem an early 3-0 lead.
Northeastern responded when Taylor found senior Garrett Chadwell in the back of the end zone for a 21-yard TD pass, giving the Jets a 7-3 lead.
The Tigers took a 10-7 lead when Wilcoxon scored on a 21-yard run midway through the second quarter.
Northeastern reclaimed the lead a few minutes later when Taylor hit junior Luke Mefford on a 12-yard TD pass. The ball was deflected by a WLS defender and Mefford was able to grab it and secure the ball in the end zone to give the Jets a 14-10 lead at the half.
While the teams were in the locker room, the conditions changed drastically. The weather wasn’t a factor in the first half, but it began raining heavily right at the beginning of the second half.
“It changed what we wanted to do and it changed what they wanted to do,” McGill said. “That’s the nature of it. My guys adjusted and got the job done. I’m so proud of them.”
The Tigers opened the second half with a nearly nine minute drive, converting multiple fourth downs that led to a 17-yard TD run by Wilcoxon to make it 17-14.
“When they grinded it out for almost nine minutes, it just took it out of us and then we’re chasing points,” Buchholtz said.
Northeastern fumbled on its first offensive play of the third quarter, but were able to hold the Tigers on fourth down. On Northeastern’s next possession, West Liberty-Salem senior Luke Evans intercepted a pass, giving the ball back to the Tigers midway through the fourth quarter.
A few plays later, Wilcoxon scored on a 1-yard run to make it 24-14. The senior hadn’t played offense for several weeks while dealing with an injury, McGill said.
“It was a great game,” Wilcoxon said. “It was a lot of fun. The rain was the best part of it really.”
Taylor scored on a 1-yard run with less than two minutes remaining, but the Jets weren’t able to recover the ensuing onside kick. The Tigers converted a first down in the final minute to seal the victory.
West Liberty-Salem is seeking its second straight OHC North title. They shared the crown with West Jefferson last year. The Tigers host the Roughriders (2-4, 0-1) next week.
“I’m excited to try to be OHC champs again this year and hopefully not have to share it,” Wilcoxon said.
The Jets had won four straight games entering Friday’s game. Northeastern travels to Triad (1-4) next week.
“Our guys fought and I was proud of their effort,” Buchholtz said. “When you play good football teams, you can get away with (turnovers) early in the season. Now that we’re starting to stack up against the big boys, we’ve got to take care of the football.”
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