Northwestern Football Team Can't Find Offense in Season Opener

Saturday afternoon marked the beginning of a new season for the Northwestern Wildcats (0-1) and the C.H. Flowers Jaguars (1-0). The much-anticipated season opener, a 28-6 loss for the home team, kicked off at Northwestern's uncut field, which despite seeing no rain for almost two weeks, was muddy and waterlogged. 

The Wildcats, who finished last season 3-7, looked to start this season off with a big win against a Jaguars team that won eight games before being shutout 28-0 against Wise in last year's semi-finals. 

The game commenced with a moment of silence for Cliff Haskins, a long time Washington area football coach, and assistant for Flowers over the past six seasons. He suffered a fatal heart attack on Aug. 17.

Northwestern elected to receive, and mounted a drive that included a 48-yard pass from senior quarterback Diamond Hansford to senior wide receiver Joshua Hayes. The drive however, ended on a third down fumble by Derrick Amenydor. The mistake ultimately proved obsolete as the Northwestern defense stopped Flowers' first drive. 

Although the Wildcats ensuing series sputtered, giving Flowers the ball on their own 16-yard line, Northwestern's Donovan Hayden forced a fumble, which was picked up by senior linebacker Marcus Jamison, who returned the ball for Northwestern's first score of the season. The extra point was blocked, which made the score 6-0 in favor of the Wildcats.

The Jaguars responded quickly with a 17-yard touchdown run on their ensuing drive.  Their extra point was blocked, deadlocking the score at 6-6. Despite a huge third-down sack which forced Flowers into a fourth and 15 situation, Flowers scored their second touchdown of the game later in the second quarter to take the halftime lead.

Shaken by the field conditions and less-than-stellar first-half play, Northwestern coach Bryan Pierre saw plenty of room for improvement at halftime.

"We need to settle down," he said. "We're playing the defending county runners-up and we need to just settle down, execute and catch the ball."

The second half didn't get much better for the Wildcats who kicked the ball out of bounds for a penalty, giving Flowers the ball on the 35-yard-line. The third quarter was a defensive battle with both teams playing a field-position game.  However, the fourth quarter began with a Flowers rushing score that took the count to 22-6. 

The game was then iced when Flowers blocked a punt deep in Wildcat territory. The Jaguars recovered the ball on Northwestern's two-yard line, and drove it in for the game's final touchdown, sealing the contest at 28-6. 

While an opening-day loss is certainly tough to swallow, Pierre did find bright spots to highlight from the day.

"We have a lot of young guys out there learning," he said. "There are five tenth graders starting. They're going to get it. As the year goes on we're going to finish fantastic. Each week we get better and better."

Northwestern will take on Oxon Hill next Saturday in their second home game of the season.

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