Story and Photo by Brennan Waldorf
The Yellow Jackets’ kickoff was delayed when their opponents were caught in traffic, pushing the kickoff time back to 7:30 p.m.
Northampton football fell to the Pointers but had a spectacular halftime show that featured the Virginia State Explosion. A full band with dancers and baton throwers dazzled the crowd with their amazing sound and rhythmic dancing. Ivory Turner was credited for coordinating the event that is becoming an annual tradition; it’s the third time the band has performed in Eastville.
The West Point Pointers used a funky looking, double-wing version of the spinning single wing formation on offense that would be very effective against a young Jacket defense. With good blocking and several solid runners in the Pointers’ arsenal they found the end zone three times in the first quarter. Brady Uzel opened scoring for the Pointers when he broke a 28-yard run for a score. Zach Gonzalez and Steven Whittaker also scored on the ground with short runs, but scoring would halt until the second half.
The West Point run offense dominated throughout the game, controlling the ball for 30:42 compared to the Jackets 17:09. The Pointers racked up 575 yards running the ball on 66 plays with 29 first downs compared to the Jackets’ three first downs. All six Pointer touchdowns came from their runners, as the Pointers attempted only two passes the entire game.
The Jackets received the ball first in the second half. Down by 18, they tried to fight and get back in the game. Running the ball right at the Pointers but finding little ground, they turned the ball over on downs at the West Point 15. The Pointers marched down the field once again behind the strong legs of senior Zach Gonzalez as he ran for 222 yards on 18 carries with 3 scores on the night.
The Jackets found their only score of the night in the third quarter when facing a third and twenty. After a sack to Liam Flynn, the Jackets were on their own 30 yard line and looked to pass. Landon Custis beat his man and took his catch 70 yards for the Jackets’ lone
score.
West Point will move to 3-2 as the Jackets continue to look for their first win of the season. Northampton will be on the road this week as they travel to Middlesex, who is 5-1 on the season including three shutouts.
