North Union’s Garrett Miller runs the ball up the middle against Ontario. The Wildcats will host Pleasant on Friday.
(Photo submitted)
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The North Union Wildcats football team has taken on the persona of the World Wrestling Federation tag team the Road Warriors from the 1980s and 90’s. The name is something NU head coach Nick Hajjar gave his Wildcats after defeating Triad and Grandview Heights while on the road.
The Road Warriors of North Union continued their winning ways in Week 5 when they defeated Ontario 21-17, also on the road.
“Going on the road, conference play or out of conference play, it’s hard to do,” said Hajjar. “So far we are three-for-three this year and Friday night was not easy. However, as we have talked, in this conference there is not going to be an easy game. That held true Friday night and we were able to find a way to win.”
This week the Wildcats will return to their home turf where they have struggled to find a win this season. The Cats lost their home opener to Swanton and and then suffered their second loss of the season when they hosted Clear Fork during Week 4.
The Wildcats will host Pleasan on Friday and try to claim their first win at home. However, the feat will be a challenge. The Spartans will bring a 4-0 record and the number one ranking in Region 18 of Division V with them.
Hajjar is ready for the challenge.
“You can tell on film they have earned their state ranking and number one in their region,” he said. “They deserve it right now. they play hard and they are disciplined and they look like a good football team.”
The North Union defense will have to face a familiar formation in the wing T. NU also runs a wing T style of offense and it’s something that the defense has come accustom to seeing. Never the less, Hajjar says there are some difference and multiple options for the Spartan offense can attack.
“Offensively, just like they always do, they’ve got a slew of guys that touch the ball and can do a bunch of different things,” said Hajjar. “It is going to be a big challenge. They are a wing T on offense. It is a little bit different then our wing T, but with some of the same sets. They have gotten into the ‘I’ a little more this year, but they have another good football team.”
Defensively, Pleasant has shown several different looks throughout the season.
“They are maybe a little more multiple this year on defense,” said Hajjar. “We will see them playing with some four and three down linemen, which, when you switch in and out of some things poses some issues.”
The Cats will look to use the momentum of their big road win last week to carry them to a victory and climb to 4-2 on the season. Hajjar says it all begins with a belief that they will win.
“I think that there is just a belief,” he said. “I don’t care if it is our team or another when you get hit in the face in the middle of the fourth quarter with a score to take the lead, you never know what the mind set of your kids is going to be. Then, we ended up going 91 yards on a game-winning driving for a touchdown. It was pretty neat to see.”
Hopefully, the Road Warriors will be able to use some of that road magic from last week and give the fans of Richwood their first home win.
of the 2017 season.