Tallahassee Bound: Northview battles past Union County, advances to first state title since 2012

Repeating 2012 is no longer a dream for the Northview High School football program. It's becoming closer to a reality.

Thanks to three total touchdowns from Jamarkus Jefferson along with an undermanned, yet stingy defense that created four turnovers, the Chiefs will head east next week in search of their first state title in a decade.

In a season highlighted by blowout performances, Northview put together its grittiest effort of the year, beating Union County 21-11 in a Class 1R state semifinal on Friday from Tommy Weaver Memorial Football Stadium.

“It’s just one of those situations where you think the head coach has taught the kids everything, but I think I’ve learned more from this group of kids than anything,” Chiefs head coach Wes Summerford said. “Just their perseverance and their back-against-the-wall attitude, they never give up. … It feels awesome, it feels awesome for sure.”

The Chiefs, the Region 1-1R champion, are the second seed in the Final Four bracket and improved their record to 13-0 record. The Fightin' Tigers, the Region 3-1R winners, were seeded third and dropped to 8-3.

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Northview will play top-seeded Hawthorne for the 1R title at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10 at Gene Cox Stadium. The Hornets (13-0) advanced by shutting out No. 4 Blountstown 28-0.

The home team was first to crack the scoreboard after a brilliant carry from its star running back.

Jefferson sliced through the defensive front before reaching the end zone with a 32-yard scamper on the first play of the second quarter. Recovering a fumble on Union County’s ensuing drive, the senior athlete crossed the goal line again, this time with a 33-yard burst up the middle on a fourth-and-1 play.

Following a scoreless third quarter, the hosts clung to a slim advantage after a 3-yard run from Fightin’ Tigers senior running back Rayvon Durant made it a 14-11 ballgame with 10 minutes remaining.

The Chiefs answered by orchestrating a drive that will live in program lure.

They traveled 59 yards in 15 plays, capped by a 12-yard pass from senior quarterback Kaden Odom to Jefferson on fourth-and-7 to push their cushion to 10 with 1:38 remaining. The team’s third fourth-down conversion of the possession, followed by an interception from senior athlete Maliki Haynes put the game on ice.

"There's no words to describe how I'm feeling. All the work we put in, we know we deserve it," Odom said after the victory. "We knew that was a great team coming in this week. Our coaches put in a great game plan and we came in and executed it. It wasn't how we thought it would be, they put us through a dog fight, but we came out with a win. That's all that matters. We're headed to Tallahassee."

Here's three takeaways from Friday's night in Bratt.

'I know you going to get open'

Northview has never trailed in the second half of any game this season. That streak stayed intact on Friday, but unlike most contests during this state run, the team had to hold off an opponent breathing down its neck.

Despite botching an onside kick after the halftime break, the Fightin' Tigers showed their might for much of the final 24 minutes. The visitors forced the Chiefs into a three-and-out and a fumble in the third quarter.

Offensively, Union County rode the legs of Durant, often lined up at fullback, and 6-foot-3, 245-pound senior Dayviontae Thompson, who was positioned at tailback. The duo gained steam as the night continued, and the Northview front couldn't stopped them from getting positive yardage.

Durant and Thompson accounted for 53 of 65 yards in a 13-play drive that concluded with Durant's 3-yard score to trim the deficit.

In unfamiliar territory, Northview displayed the mettle necessary to become a champion. The team also put the ball in the hands of its best player: Jefferson.

The senior touched the ball on every play of a 15-play possession that drained more than eight minutes off the clock. However, what's interesting is how the Chiefs chose to give it to him in critical situations.

Throughout the contest, Northview's bread-and-butter play involved players motioning to create an unbalanced line, which allowed Jefferson to run off tackle or up the gut. In the game's latter stages, when the hosts went in motion, Union County shifted its defensive alignment as well, leading to less success of the ground.

With the game hanging in the balance and their opponent understanding what they're trying to do, the Chiefs needed to counter that move. That's when they got creative.

"We were staying with our play for a long time. And we just saw their adjustments and we had to make an adjustment to their adjustment," Summerford said. "We thought at times we had the perimeter and at times we thought they were playing the box heavy, which would open up the pass. The last four-five plays was a culmination of what we saw."

On a fourth-and-3 play inside Fightin' Tigers territory, the hosts ran an option to the outside, with Odom pitching it to Jefferson for the first down.

After the running back moved the chains again on an inside carry fourth-and-short, Northview stared down a fourth-and-2 at the Union County 7-yard line. The home team was backed up five yards when it was whistled for a delay-of-game penalty.

The Chiefs sent Wyatt Scruggs in motion as the ball was snapped. Odom faked the handoff to the junior wide receiver and rolled to his left before hitting Jefferson, who slipped up the flat, for a game-clinching score.

"(Jefferson) told me, 'I'm going to get in the end zone,'" Odom said. "I told him 'Dude, do what you got to do. The ball is coming to you, I know you going to get open.' I had that much faith in him."

The penalty just prior wasn't intentional, but it actually worked in the Northview's favor. The team was committed to pass on fourth down, but the mistake gave the Chiefs more space to throw.

"Thank God it did. I think (Jefferson) had five yards to spare when he caught the ball," Summerford said.

'We're still dangerous'

During a timeout late in the fourth quarter, senior athlete Luke Bridges shouted to his teammates "finish the race."

The Chiefs' vocal leader is used to pumping his squad up, but this time around, he did so while walking on crutches.

Bridges suffered a leg injury on the final play of the first half. After a Scruggs interception, the senior athlete collided with a teammate trying to make a block.

Northview was already without senior lineman John Michael Ward, who did not suit up due to an enlarged spleen, but others stepped up in their places.

Senior linebacker Cason Burkett created the game's first turnover after causing Union County quarterback A.J. Cortese to fumble in the second quarter. Jefferson made it back-to-back takeaways when another hit on Cortese jarred the ball loose and was pounced on by junior lineman Joe Wright.

"It's great to know that at our best, we're dangerous. Even with us not at best, we're still dangerous," Jefferson said. "We can still make plays and we played great as a team."

Meanwhile, Haynes, who turned an ankle during the night, could barely stand on his feet. The senior was is in visible pain, but stayed on the field while playing both sides of the ball.

"My teammates, they encouraged me. 'They were like, 'One more minute, that's all we need out of you," he said. "I gave them all that I had left and made a play."

Haynes was healthy enough to send the Chiefs faithful into hysteria. He pulled down a deep Cortese pass to get the party started.

"I bobbled it at first, but when I realized I had a chance to get it, I grabbed it," he said. "Everything from there just froze. My mind went blank, I didn't know what to think."

'Play the next play'

Before key conversions on the final drive, Jefferson had two notable fourth-down plays earlier in the night.

The senior was stuffed on a fourth-and-goal from the UC 1 to end the Chiefs' first offensive possession. He later made up for it with his 33-yard score.

"It was in the back of my head, but in the game of football, you can't think about previous plays. You got to let it go and play the next play," Jefferson said. "My offensive line, I want to give a big shout out to them because they blocked their butts off all night for me."

Unofficially, the senior finished with 34 carries for 250 yards.

Patrick Bernadeau is a sports reporter for the Pensacola News Journal. He can be reached at (850) 503-3828, on Twitter @PatBernadeau or via email at pbernadeau@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: State Semifinal: Northview grinds way to first state title game since 2012