By Buck RinggoldTimes Recordbringgold@swtimes.com
Northside got several big plays in the second and third quarters as the Grizzlies went on to win their opening road game of the season.

The Grizzlies scored two second-quarter touchdowns to build a 21-7 lead against Van Buren. Then, the Grizzlies added a pair of big-play TDs in the third, including a successful fake punt, to pull away for a 42-14 win at Blakemore Field on Friday.


Northside (1-1) broke a 7-all score early in the second quarter. After the Pointers tied the score late in the first, Northside took over at its own 37. The Grizzlies marched down to the Van Buren 12, where they faced a third-and-10 situation.

Quarterback Max Frazier launched a pass toward the end zone, where receiver Biyron McGrew was going one-on-one with a VB defender. McGrew then elevated himself in the air over the defender and hauled in the pass for the Grizzly TD. Cheuy Parga's PAT kick made it 14-7, a lead the Grizzlies managed from there.

VB (0-2) faced a fourth-and-1 in its own territory on the next series and decided to go for it. But Northside cornerback Tre Norwood snuffed out a pitch for an eventual loss, and the Grizzlies took over.

Four plays later, Hunter Pendleton found a hole up the middle and raced in from 28 yards out, as the Grizzlies built their lead to 14 points, 21-7, midway through the second quarter.

Northside took the second-half kickoff and had a first-and-goal at the VB 7 before going backward, eventually being forced to punt. The next time the Grizzlies got the ball back, they appeared to kick the ball right back to the Pointers.

But in the punt formation, the ball was snapped to the upback, Kedrick Thomas. The senior speedster then did the rest, racing down the field for a 72-yard TD as Northside coach Mike Falleur's fake punt call worked brilliantly to perfection. Thomas' TD made it 28-7 with less than five minutes remaining in the third.

Then, one play after Northside got the ball back after forcing the Pointers to punt, Pendleton took a pitch to the right at his own 39 and blazed a path down the sideline for a 61-yard touchdown, his second TD on the night. Parga's PAT made it 35-7, Grizzlies, late in the third.


VB got a 45-yard TD pass from Christian Morrow to Logan Humphries in the fourth, but five plays later, Northside backup quarterback Josh Douglas took a keeper and went in from 29 yards out for the Grizzlies' final TD. With two seconds left, Northside defensive back Devonte Bausley intercepted a pass at the goal line, thwarting a late Pointer scoring chance.

Northside got on the board first on its second series, four plays after Matthew Jackson recovered a fumble in VB territory. Derrick Wise capitalized on the turnover with a 2-yard TD run.

The Pointers answered with a seven-play 80-yard drive, which ended with a 9-yard TD run from Kameron Collins as VB tied it at 7-all with 2:29 left in the opening quarter.

Thomas finished the game with 118 yards on five carries, while Pendleton added 100 yards on eight rushes. Frazier completed 3-of-4 passes for 35 yards, including the go-ahead TD to McGrew. All but 40 of the Grizzlies' 379 yards came on the ground.

Van Buren had 249 yards rushing and 45 more passing. The Pointers' top rusher was Josh Aden, who had 68 yards on 14 carries.