Playing without starting running back Gage Bryant due to an illness, the North Delta School offense was stuck in neutral trailing 9-0 at halftime of its home-opener Friday against Benton Academy.

 But as the second half got underway, the Green Wave found lightning in a bottle with 28 unanswered points to defeat the Raiders 28-9 to improve to 2-0 on the young season.

  Matt Johnson was the workhorse in place of Bryant with 84 yards on 17 carries and a touchdown to go along with ten tackles on defense that shutdown Benton in the second half. Senior quarterback Luke West completed 15-of 28 passes for 144 yards and two third quarter touchdowns.

  North Delta received the second half kickoff and marched 64 yards on seven plays capped off by a ten-yard swing pass from West to Baylor Scammon at the 9:53 mark as Caleb Walls added the PAT for a 9-7 Benton lead. The drive was set up by a 38-yard pass completion from West to Mike Pinkston to the Raiders ten yard line.

  The Green Wave kept the momentum on their side as Kasen Bates recovered the kickoff squib kick at the Benton 39, two plays later West hit Riley Cook for a 29-yard scoring play to give North Delta the lead 14-9 after Walls booted the conversion.

   North Delta tacked on another touchdown midway through the fourth quarter as Johnson ran up the middle for four yards with 6:30 left on the clock. One play earlier, the Wave faced a 4th and 11 from the Raider 15 with Johnson getting the first down on a gritty 11-yard run.

 The Green Wave put the game away as Bates picked off a pass and raced 63 yards into the endzone. North Delta rushed the ball 31 times for 102 yards. Scammon followed Johnson with 12 carries for 44 yards and ten tackles on defense. John Riley Taylor added 13 yards on five carries. 

Pinkston led North Delta with six receptions for 71 yards as Cook reeled in three catches for 48 yards. Rowan Baker recorded two catches for 23 yards.

On the defensive side of the ball, Bates had six tackles and a fumble recovery while Herron Williams contributed with six tackles and two quarterback sacks. Rowan Gordan also had six stops and a quarterback sack. Deacon Downs and Caden Land supplied five tackles each.

 North Delta opens up District 1-3A play at Marshall Academy Friday in a 7 p.m kickoff.