It was sweet redemption for Northside standout running back Tra’ Jackson Friday night at Lord Botetourt Stadium.
A week after coughing up a pair of early second half fumbles that sidetracked any designs of a comeback in the Vikings’ 38-14 home loss to Salem, Jackson found the end zone with 3:25 left in the game, and followed with a two-point conversion, propelling the Vikings to the come-from-behind 8-7 win over the Cavaliers.
Last week, Northside head coach Burt Torrence said Jackson, despite the miscues, would be big for the Vikings down the road. Jackson proved Torrence’s words prophetic.
On a night dominated by steady rain, the two teams battled in the trenches and both offenses were predominantly staying with the running game most of the contest.
It was 0-0 after one quarter and after both teams fumbled the ball away on their opening drives of the second, Lord Botetourt started near midfield and methodically drove for the first score of the game with 3:23 left in the half when Cavalier quarterback Ryan Fralin ran it in on an 8-yard keeper around left-end that sent the teams to the halftime break with Botetourt up 7-0.
Neither team threatened in the third quarter as the rain began falling harder, but Northside got the break it needed when Botetourt lost a fumble late in the quarter that set up the Vikings near midfield.
Cory Williams picked up a key first down on fourth-and-one to keep the Viking drive going early in the fourth quarter, and Northside reached the Botetourt 1-yard line. But, on fourth down, Northside was flagged for a five-yard illegal substitution penalty that moved the ball back to the six. The Cavs forced an incomplete pass on the next play to turn the ball back over to the Botetourt offense.
The Viking defense rose to the occasion, forcing a Botetourt punt that set up the winning Northside drive at the Cavalier 47-yard line.
After a short run, Northside quarterback Josh Hardister hit Hayden Porterfield on a 21-yard completion, one of only 6 completed passes combined by both teams all night, that had the Vikings in business at the Botetourt 26.
On the next play, Jackson raced around the right side to the house that cut the Botetourt lead to 7-6.
It looked like the game was heading to overtime, much like the last time these two teams fought it out on the Botetourt turf in 2013, when the Vikings lined up for the conversion.
But, The Cavaliers jumped offsides, and with the ball moved to halfway to the goal line, Torrence rolled the dice with a 2-point conversion.
It was Jackson again, taking the snap before heading straight into the end zone for the winning points.
Lord Botetourt had one last chance, but the Northside defense held, handing the Cavaliers their first loss of the season after opening with four wins. Northside improved to 3-2.
Jackson led the Viking running attack with 76 yards, while Botetourt’s Noah Fletcher and Fralin combined for 170 yards on a combined 53 attempts.
Bill Turner
