Autumn was in the windy air Friday, Oct. 24, and in tandem with the changing colors of the leaves came a massive transformation for the varsity football team. Shedding behind their previous hesitations, the Warriors seamlessly weaved a high-powered defense with a steady, persistent offense to strike down the Stony Point Tigers 35-7. 

“It was a great game,” Asher David ‘26 said. “We had a tough loss last week, but we really rallied this week in practice and tonight to turn that season back around and make this light push. It’s great to see the team get excited and have fun. I’m not going to have too many of these left, so it was really great to go out there and get a win.”

Commencing the game on defense, the Warriors set up a swift, targeted barrier, installing an ominous defensive line that continued to successfully push the Tigers to third downs. This exceptionally intense defense minimized the Tigers time on offense, paving the way for a refreshed Warrior offense to display their first bout of strategic play. Passing has always been a limitation for the Warrior offense, so after a few failed initial tests, they resorted completely to rushing the ball. Diverging from their typical sporadic and cluttered play, the offense adopted an anchored strategy of carefully rushing the ball a few yards per down to enable steady, consistent movement down the field.Wade Allen ‘26 led the offensive line in utilizing these short runs; after scoping out Tiger defense patiently mid-field, Allen rode the wind to make a sweeping run when comfortably deep in Tiger territory — resulting in the first touchdown of the game midway through the first quarter 7-0. 

“We were able to establish the run game pretty well [on offense], our offensive line was driving them back like six yards of play,” Allen said. “So just with [that], the holes were opening, I was able to hit them and we were able to be successful off of that.”

The Warrior’s excitingly strategic success on offense kickstarted a feedback loop that would persist throughout the game: offense and defense feeding each other momentum, which would eventually build to a roaring climax of a long-awaited victory. While consistently powerful throughout the season, Warrior defense developed a newfound precision, pursuing incoming Tiger offense with logical contact. This bled through to the Warrior’s special teams, with a deep punt followed by a massive tackle at the 11 yard line, establishing a critical line of scrimmage for the Tigers second drive. While defense limited the Tiger’s yardage by pushing for lateral movement only, a few scattered Tiger runs led to them closing in on Warrior territory. The Tiger offense skirted past Warrior defense after a fourth and 26 to get an easy first down and two to the goal, after which the score was tied at  7-7 after a Tiger touchdown. 

The last time the Warriors were tied at the end of first quarter was during their upset against Round Rock 42-7.Learning from that impulsivity and lack of coordination, the Warrior offense displayed a bout of strategic might by sifting steadily through a tension-ridden stalemate of a second quarter. Both teams’ offense made valiant attempts to gain momentum on the field, but their defensive counterparts set up an unshakeable wall.The bulk of the second quarter saw multiple losses of possessions mid-field by both teams followed by many punts on the fourth down. Breaking the Warriors out of this slump arrived an awaited complete pass to Alex Smith ‘28, securing a first down. This progress was then paired with a Tiger personal foul and pass interference penalty, building a wave of momentum on which the Warriors surfed to the Tiger’s 23 yard line. Due to a series of incomplete passes, the Warriors were at a risky 3rd and 10, but a breakthrough run by Allen won the Warriors their second touchdown, right on the cusp of the first half 14-7. 

“[A] challenge was just finding the gaps and reading the defense,” Allen said. “They’re a tough team that hit hard and the whole physicality throughout the whole game was put to the test. They’re not scared to hit, they’re not scared of contact — we knew this watching film and we were able to succeed, so shout out my O-line and shout out my tight ends.”

Turning around the slow play of the second quarter, the third quarter delivered an action-packed series of plays that helped, once and for all, break the Warriors slump of slow, short runs. An expertly-crafted strategic balance ensued, with defense pushing the Tigers off the field in under a minute and Warrior offense scoring a touchdown on each of their three offensive drives. The first began with their classic steady rushing play by Allen, followed by a complete pass to Weston Franz ‘27 who ran the ball deep along the sidelines, and was helped along by an agile maneuver by Maps Mehis ‘28 around a swarm of Tiger defense. Following this momentum boost, Drew Norrell ‘26 swept into the end zone to secure the third touchdown of the night for the Warriors 21-7. 

“[The team] did a really great job of never letting their foot off the gas — that’s something we preached all week,” David said. “We said once we get the lead we have to do a good job of maintaining that lead and keep pressing, and I think we did a really great job of winning that middle eight.”

The next drive saw movement in large increments, culminating with yet another touchdown by Allen 28-7. The final touchdown of the game was credited dominantly to Mehis, who ran the ball to the Tiger’s 35 yard line post-punt, and Allen again, who delivered the score. An offside penalty on the Tigers during the Warrior’s no-good extra point attempt allowed another chance for a kick, which was successful. The remainder of the game was a testament to the persistence of Warrior defense, who proactively stalled the Tigers from gaining a double-digit score. 

“Offensively we ran the ball really well, obviously Wade was a stud, he had four touchdowns,” David said. “I would love it if we could get that passing game going just a little bit more, but at the end of the day the game script kind of determines that and we ended up getting the win. So, we’ll work on the stuff we need to work on in practice, but it was a great game.”

While their targeted strategic transformations were spotlighted on the field, the team also experienced some organizational changes due to loss of players to injury and conduct. Their ability to adapt swiftly to these shifting circumstances won them the game and the additional commendation that comes with a victory in The Great American Rivalry Series. 

“Drew [especially] going into the week knew he had to take a bigger role on the defense with injuries and everything, and he stepped in there and did his thing,” Allen said. “He had catches on him, he had a few tackles, and just overall putting people in different positions really helped us succeed in this game and gave us the opportunity to win.”

Norrell was especially pivotal, and his  ability to play a range of defensive and offensive positions in this game alone to make up for the logistical gaps earned him the title of Most Valuable Player (MVP). 

“[Since] we lost a lot of players, we had to move people around and I had to help the team out,” Norrell said. “They trust me [because] I can learn stuff quickly, and I guess that’s the reason for the [MVP]. We had a lot of fun [practicing] throughout the week, so we were just ready to play. I’m just trying to win the next two games because if we win, then we get a chance at playing farther. But [looking to the season’s end], it’s just fun being out here with all the guys, so I’ll miss it.”

The varsity football team will take to the field at Vandegrift to face off against the Vipers on Friday, Oct. 31.