ND football

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, August 16, 2011

North Delta hosted a football jamboree Thursday night. Green Wave junior quarterback Tyler Pirtle swings wide to avoid this tackle from Carroll Academy. Pirtle scored the Green Wave’s lone touchdown in the varsity game. North Delta opens the season Friday night at Lee Academy in Clarksdale at 7:30 p.m. The Panolian photo by Glennie Pou

ND shows promise in jamboree

By Brad Greer
Even though he had never stepped onto a football field before, North Delta running back Hunter Durham looked like a seasoned vetern

The junior transfer from South Panola rushed for 32 yards and one touchdown followed by 59 yards on just four carries and another score to lead the Green Wave  ‘B‘ team to a pair of 6-0 victories over Carroll and Kirk in the North Delta jamboree Thursday night.

The Green Wave first team unit gave a strong showing as well by defeating Kirk 7-0 and battleing Carroll to a 6-6 tie in a pair of 20-minute scrimmages.

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“I really did not know how much I would play tonight, but I knew it would be with the second team unit. I was really pumped up about it and I was ready to get out there and see what I could do,” said Durham, who’s 44-yard scamper against Kirk set up the lone touchdown.

“I felt like I did pretty good and hopefully caught the coaches’ eye tonight. I did not know I could run that fast, “ Durham said with a broad smile.

The Green Wave’s first game of the evening came against district newcomer Carroll before taking on Kirk in the last game.

North Delta took the opening drive against Kirk and quickly marched 70 yards on four plays to score the opening points of the contest. Taylor Morris set the tone with a 26-yard run on the first play from scrimmage. Two plays later, junior quarterback Tyler Pirtle called his own number and raced 36 yards for the score at the 11:53 mark as Kyle  Devazier tacked on the PAT.

The Raiders responded with a 14-play drive down to the North Delta two-yard line before Bailey Guckert pounced on a fumble to preserve the win. Sy Pritchard led the Green Wave defensive charge with three solo tackles and one assist.

Morris’ eight-yard touchdown run was North Delta’s only score against Carroll as the game ended in a deadlock as Devazier’s point after attempt was no good.

Carroll tied the game on the next possession as  Breland Marett hooked up with Payton Banes on a 13-yard scoring strike.

Pirtle followed Morris in the ground game with 17 yards on three rushes while completing one pass to Guckert for 11 yards. Parker Jones added two carries for 11 yards. Luke Latham and Hunter Pitcher led North Delta with two tackles each while Blake Snyder added a quarterback sack.

Quarterback Hunt Howell led the second unit with two rushes for 33 yards while Pritchard added one carry for three yards.

North Delta kicks off the regular season Friday night at Clarksdale Lee.

In other games, Marshall defeated Indianola 14-0; Winston blanked Kirk 7-0; Marshall edged Carroll 20-14 and Indianola tied Winston 7-7.