Upson-Lee hands Northside its second loss
Upson-Lee entered Friday's contest with Northside at Kinnett Stadium having not allowed a point in 2015.
That streak was extended for another half as the Knights did not allow a Patriot score until the third quarter in a 40-17 win.
Upson-Lee moves to 3-0, while Northside falls to 1-2 on the season.
Upson-Lee broke the ice with 1:13 left in the first quarter as kicker Rich Stewart somehow coaxed his 31-yard field-goal attempt over the crossbar for a 3-0 lead.
Prior to that kick, neither team had done much offensively, each turning the ball over in the period.
The Knights would awaken in the second quarter and put 17 more points on the board. O'qualon Harris broke free and raced 41 yards on a speed sweep to put his team up 10-0 at the 9:07 mark of the second quarter.
That score was followed just over four minutes later when Stewart boomed a 38-yard field goal to make it 13-0 with 4:39 left.
Upson-Lee scored a back-breaker with just 29 seconds left in the half as work-horse running back Quay Reviere bulled in from four yards out.
Stewart's kick gave the Knights a 20-0 lead that they would carry into the break. Reviere would go on to carry the ball 30 times in the game and rush for 171 yards and two more scores.
Northside finally got on the board on its first possession of the second half. The Patriots marched 58 yards to the Knights' 9-yard line before the drive stalled.
Nathan Robertson booted a 26-yard field goal to make it 20-3 with 9:00 left in the third. Robertson had missed from 53 yards to close the first half and also had another attempt blocked in the opening period.
The Knights answered quickly to extend the lead.
Quarterback Kalen Puckett hit Donovan King on a short slant and the speedy receiver broke a tackle and raced 51 yards for the score. Stewart's kick made it 27-3 at that point.
Northside got the first touchdown against the Upson-Lee defense on its next drive. Kalan Watts scored from five yards away with 3:47 left in the third to make it 27-10. The score came after a 30-yard pass play from Levi Dunn to Shamar Brown.
After Reviere scored from four yards out early in the fourth and gave the visitors a 33-10 lead, Northside moved quickly, covering 54 yards in just four plays. Levi Dunn hit Cordale Scott on a nice scoring play and made it 33-17 with 10:18 left.
Reviere put to rest any thoughts of a comeback just over a minute later. He took a handoff, found a hole and 52 yards later gave his team a commanding lead. Stewart's kick made it 40-17.
Watts was a bright spot for the Patriots as he rushed for 80 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown. Dunn passed for 107 yards and a score but completed just 6 of 18 attempts.
Northside faces Shaw next week in a rivalry game, while Upson-Lee looks to remain unbeaten as they host Baldwin.Friday at Kinnett StadiumUpson-Lee 3 17 7 13--40
Northside 0 0 10 7--17First Quarter
UL--Rich Stewart 31 FG, 1:13Second QuarterUL--O'qualon Harris 41 run (Stewart kick), 9:07
UL--Stewart 38 FG, 4:39
UL--Quay Revere 4 run (Stewart kick), 0:29Third QuarterN--Nathan Robertson 26 FG, 9:00
UL--Donovan King 51 pass from Kalen Puckett (Stewart kick), 6:14
N--Kalan Watts 5 run (Nathan Robertson kick), 3:47Fourth QuarterUL--Revere 4 run (kick failed)
N--Cordale Scott 23 pass from Levi Dunn (Robertson kick), 10:18
UL--Revere 52 run (Stewart kick), 8:59
Team records: Upson-Lee 3-0. Northside 1-2. Next: Northside, vs. Shaw, Sept. 25, at Kinnett, 7:30 p.m.
This story was originally published September 18, 2015 at 11:45 PM with the headline "Upson-Lee hands Northside its second loss ."