Northside Falls in Second Round of the AHSAA Playoffs

Northside suffered its first loss of the season on Friday during the second round of the 5A AHSAA playoffs, falling to Vigor with a final score of 49-28. The Wolves scored 21 unanswered points in the final 13 minutes of the game to clinch their victory.

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This game started with Vigor striking first, with a three-play 60-yard drive that was capped off by a two-yard touchdown run from Junior running back Demetris Johnson to make it a 7-0 ball game with 10:40 left in the first quarter.

Northside's offense struggled to find any rhythm during its first two drives. The Rams’ opening drive ended in a punt, and soon after, Junior's linebacker, Bennet Green, intercepted a pass. Unfortunately, two plays later, a fumble returned possession to Vigor at the Wolves' 30-yard line. Just two plays afterward, Vigor's senior quarterback, Sammy Dunn, connected with senior wide receiver Dylan Jackson for a 40-yard touchdown, putting the Wolves ahead by 14 points with 4:28 left in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Northside dominated the game, scoring 14 unanswered points. They completed a 14-play, 60-yard drive that ended with a one-yard rushing touchdown by Bennett Green. Shortly after, senior wide receiver Evan Taylor added a 50-yard rushing touchdown, reaching the end zone untouched. This tied the game at 14-14, with 3:13 remaining in the quarter.

Unfortunately for the Rams, Vigor was able to add one more score before the end of the half, thanks to a 40-yard scramble from Dunn, which set up a 20-yard rushing touchdown from senior wide receiver Gerritt Holcombe to give the Wolves a seven-point lead going into halftime.

Northside began the second half with a strong play from junior quarterback Jackson Rhoades. Despite facing a defender, Rhoades successfully connected with Taylor, who then sprinted 70 yards for a game-tying touchdown. This impressive play evened the score at 21 points with 11:03 remaining in the third quarter.

Vigor quickly responded with a touchdown of their own when Johnson scored his second rushing touchdown of the day, this time from eight yards out. This put the Wolves ahead 28-21 with 9:03 remaining in the third quarter.

The Wolves had an opportunity to extend their lead to two possessions after receiving a punt from Northside on the next drive. However, Austin Kightlinger, a senior wide receiver and cornerback for the Rams and a 2026 baseball commit to Indiana, intercepted the ball. This interception gave Northside possession at midfield.

Northside capitalized on the interception with Rhoades connecting with Rams' senior wide receiver JJ Case for a 21-yard touchdown to tie the game up at 28 with 2:11 left in the third quarter. This gave Rhoades his second touchdown of the night.

This would be the last time Northside got on the board in Friday's loss, with Vigor going on to score one more touchdown before the end of the quarter, thanks to a 20-yard touchdown from Dunn to Jackson to give the senior wide receiver his second touchdown on the night. It gave Vigor a seven-point lead with 1:20 left in the third quarter.

The fourth quarter was all Vigor with the Wolves scoring two more touchdowns thanks to Johnson, who picked up his third receiving touchdown on the night, with this one coming from 20 yards out. A one-yard touchdown from Johnson to give him his third of the night put Vigor up 49-28 and ultimately was the final score of Friday's round two matchup.

Vigor will advance to the third round of the AHSAA playoffs, where they will host Central of Clay County next Friday, November 24th.

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