Uncertainty is one word that can be used to describe last week leading up to the second Dubs football game this year, but after an overpowering victory last Friday night, one thing that is certain is that the Warriors are off to a strong 2-0 start. The Dubs were originally slated to take on Midtown High School (formerly Grady) for their much anticipated annual early-season rivalry game last Friday night in Midtown, but after Grady’s varsity football season was terminated on Sunday, North Atlanta had to move quickly to find a new opponent. 

On Monday, a game was scheduled against Therrell High School, a fellow APS high school that was yet to play their season opener. The uncertainty, however, wasn’t quite resolved. Confusion emerged prior to the game when avid Dubs fans were unsure of the theme for the game. Some students advocated for a USA theme, while others advocated a Wild West theme. The official theme was announced just before the game, the decision being the Wild West, but Dubs in the stands could be seen arriving in both western apparel and patriotic USA gear as the game began under bright lights at 8:00. 

Excitement had been mounting before the first quarter, and with the game just beginning to get underway, passionate Dubs fans were still arriving. The first possession was by Therrell, and a stout defensive stand by the Warriors resulted in a fumble that was recovered and returned for a touchdown. One minute hadn’t even passed in the quarter, and the Warriors were already on the scoreboard and up 7-0.

On the next possession, Therrell responded by marching down the field with a quick drive, scoring a touchdown, but missing the extra point. Shortly after, the Dubs scored again on a “pick six” interception return for a touchdown. It was looking to be a high scoring affair, and the Warriors led 14-6. “Where in the world is everyone in our grade? I know they’re coming, but they’re kind of missing out,” said senior Davis Maxey as the first quarter came to a close. 

Come they did. The student section was growing in size well into the start of the second quarter, which began with another Dubs touchdown, putting them up 20-6 (The extra point was missed). This time, however, it was not scored by our stout defense causing a Therrell turnover, but by a sustained drive led by junior quarterback Trey Lennon. Lennon’s dual threat abilities were showcased on the drive, as he not only completed several passes through narrow windows to receivers, but also was quick on his feet, picking up yardage when forced to scramble by Therrell’s blitz packages. “Wow, that guy is going to do good things this year. If he can be consistently accurate and keep running like that, defenses are going to have to watch out,” said junior Logan Kaufman. 

Now up two touchdowns, North Atlanta never looked back. After entering halftime with a 20-6 lead, the Dubs stayed in command, adding a touchdown to start the third quarter and one more touchdown before the quarter came to a close. By the arrival of the fourth quarter, Dubs fans were already beginning to exit Midtown’s stadium in high spirits. “Wow we won again. I think someone said this game was being shown on TV too. It was just as fun as last week wasn’t it,” said junior Brett McPherson at the end of the game. 

The final score was North Atlanta 34, Therrell 6. Like in their victory over Wheeler in the season opener, the Dubs showed strong resilience and playmaking ability on defense, but this week, new and exciting flashes of offensive greatness were seen. Dubs Fans now look ahead to this Friday night’s matchup against the Jackson Jaguars. The Jaguars started their season with a loss, suffering a blowout 64-0 defeat in their season opener. The Dubs hope to continue their early success and improve to 3-0 in the matchup at Midtown Stadium on Friday night at 8:00 p.m. and expect another great turnout. Go Dubs!