Three Oaks holds off Northview rally in Battle of the Choctaws

Three Oaks defender Crawford Childress (left) wraps up Northview quarterback Clark Ross (right) on a fourth and goal play during the fourth quarter of Three Oaks' win over Northview at Dyer County High School on Thursday night in Newbern.

Photo/Jason Peevyhouse

By JASON PEEVYHOUSE

Sports Editor

Though Three Oaks held a three-touchdown lead at the half, Northview came out with a strong second half effort to keep the game in doubt until just under two minutes left before the Choctaw from Upper Finley Road held on for the 18-10 win on Thursday night at Dyer County High School.

Northview receiver Will Trevathan (front) fights through a tackle to add yardage to a catch.

Photo/Jason Peevyhouse

Three Oaks Head Coach Chris Eaves credited the team’s punter with helping the TOMS defense be able to stop their rivals from pulling closer or tying the game.

“A lot of it was two good punts by Cayden Butler,” Eaves explained. “He gave our defense a little bit of breathing room.”

“Congratulations to Three Oaks,” Northview Head Coach Jason Stewart said. “They played a heck of a ballgame.”

Trailing 18-0 at the half, Northview came out determined in the third quarter and were able to drive the ball down the field. But, a fumble on the 4-yard line was recovered by Three Oaks to give the ball to the Choctaws from Upper Finley Road.

Northview’s defense, though, stepped up and recorded a safety early in the possession to give the Choctaws from Newbern two points and the ball back via free kick.

On the ensuing Northview drive, Josiah Barbee broke free for a 41-yard touchdown run. Drake Santiago picked up the two-point conversion to cut the Three Oaks lead to 18-10 with 50 seconds left in the third quarter.

Northview looked to threaten again after forcing Three Oaks to punt. A long run from Clark Ross took the Choctaws from Newbern to the Three Oaks 10-yard line. Three runs from Ross took NMS to the TOMS 1-yard line. But, on fourth and goal, Three Oaks’ Crawford Childress was able to get Ross in the backfield then help bring down the NMS quarterback for a four-yard loss and a turnover on downs.

After starting at its own 5-yard line, Three Oaks was able to get some breathing room before being forced to punt.

Getting the ball near midfield, a Ross 12-yard run gave Northview a fresh set of downs before a sack and three incomplete passes sealed the win for Three Oaks.

“Our guys, we talked to them at halftime and we challenged them,” Stewart said. “They came out and they performed in the second half.

“Just wish the first half maybe would have been a little different if we played like we did in the second half.”

After holding Northview out of the end zone on the first drive of the game, Three Oaks got on the board when a Brylen Hatch 21-yard pass to Landon Todd capped the scoring drive and put TOMS up 6-0 with 29.7 seconds left in the first half.

Three Oaks added two scores in the second quarter as a blocked punt led to a four-yard run by Childress with 6:51 left to extend the Three Oaks lead to 12-0. Later in the quarter, a 25-yard pass from Hatch to Todd put Three Oaks on top 18-0, a lead it held through the rest of the first half.

“It was a super-physical game on both sides of the ball,” Eaves added. “Hats off to them. This was a heck of a game.

“It was a tale of two halves.”

Three Oaks hosts Hillcrest next week while Northview travels to Ripley on Thursday.

Thanks to a Ripley win over Three Oaks last week, Northview can really complicate things in the playoff picture should NMS go to Ripley and defeat the Tigers next Thursday.

“It’s a huge game next with Ripley,” Stewart added. “If we beat Ripley, then it all goes to a tiebreaker system within our conference. That would put us all with one loss.

“It was a great night for Dyer County. A lot of great football players out here tonight and the high school is going to reap the benefits of it.”