Cave Spring running back Jackson Steffen (#28) picks up yardage Friday night in the Knights 30-00 win over Northside. (Shannon Sweeney photos).
Figures don’t lie.
Yes, whether it’s the Miss America Pageant or high school football, figures just don’t lie. Beauty contests notwithstanding, make no mistake about it, Cave Spring football is well on its way to turning the corner in convincing style.
Taking advantage of a dominating defense that presented opportunities, along with a mix-it-up offense that kept the Northside Vikings second-guessing all night, Cave Spring rolled to the 30-0 win Friday night at Jim Hickam Field.
Two weeks into the young season the figures for the Knights are daunting: 67 points scored; 0 points allowed. Again, figures don’t lie.
Northside freshman quarterback Angel Rigney is swarmed under by Cave Spring’s Owen Sweeney (#20) and Kent Ray (#68) as the Knight defensive front dominated.
Friday night, Cave Spring escaped a sloppy first quarter by both teams to take the lead in the second quarter before putting the hammer down in the third to take control of the game. The Knights had set the tone for what was to come after they recovered a Northside fumble on the opening kickoff. Viking freshman quarterback Angel Rigney was still looking to establish a rhythm for Northside when Cave Spring junior Owen Sweeney intercepted Rigney with an acrobatic diving pick on the last play of the quarter.
The Knights kept the pressure on, and with just under nine minutes left in the second, senior quarterback Landon Altizer got Cave Spring on the scoreboard when he hit senior wide receiver Ayden Babich over the middle for a 15-yard touchdown pass. Kicker Jack Matthews split the uprights on the point-after, his first of four perfect PATs on the night, and Cave Spring took the seven-point lead to the halftime break.
The Knights broke the game open in the third. Deep in Northside territory after junior running back Cam Parker got the ball to the Viking 7-yard line and soph Jackson Steffen ran 2-yards to the five before a Northside facemask penalty had the Knights on the doorstep. Steffen took it into the end zone for a score and Cave Spring was up 14-0.
The Knights added a safety on the next Northside possession when a punt snap sailed over the head of Northside kicker Landon Saul. Saul gathered the ball in the end zone but was tackled on a takedown by Knight sophomore middle linebacker Drew Browning and a pin by Steffen to make it 16-0 Knights.
It was another case all night of the dominating Cave Spring line that includes Steffen, Sweeney, Kent Ray and Preston Lonker. Cinderblocks in motion.
Cave Spring running back Cam Parker (#3) breaks into the secondary Friday night at Northside.
Cave Spring tacked on another seven points after the ensuing Viking free kick when it got the ball in Viking territory at the 44-yard line. The Knights drove to the Northside 5 where Parker went off the right side for a touchdown that put Cave Spring on cruise control, up 23-0. Senior Caleb Grider added the final Knight score in the fourth quarter on a 2-yard plunge that settled the final outcome.
Parker finished with 72 rushing yards on 14 carries while Steffen carried the ball 15 times for 63 yards. The Knights picked up 211 yards on the ground. Northside’s junior running back TJ McGinnis was the workhorse for the Viking offense that was held to 22 total yards and was 1-for-8 on third down conversions.
Cave Spring will look for its third win next Friday night when the always-dangerous Glenvar Highlanders make the trip to Bogle Stadium for a 7pm kickoff. Northside looks to regroup when it goes up against 1-1 Hidden Valley on Friday night at Northside.
