The Nansemond River High School football team went to 1-0 against its Suffolk foes after a 30-13 road win last Friday over King’s Fork High School.

The Bulldogs and Warriors clashed in a hard-fought matchup, with both teams having common goals. Each wants to win the city of Suffolk, and each had different things at stake. With a win for the Bulldogs, they would claim the city title back from the Warriors. A win for the Warriors put them a half-step closer to being back-to-back city champions.

The Warriors came out on top using their strong rushing attack, rushing for more than 300 yards from X’zavion Evans and Brent Stratton. Evans added a dazzling 80-yard run in the second quarter that set the tone for the rest of the game for the Warriors. Stratton went on to add a rushing touchdown of his own right after.

The Bulldogs were able to score before the end of the first half after a 46-yard touchdown reception by Jamari Simmons, but Nansemond River maintained a 16-7 halftime lead.

“They are an extremely well-coached team,” Coach Justin Conyers said. “We are happy to get the win. Some things we wanted to do a little more off, but our rushing attack was on point, and they made plays.”

Nansemond River added another score out of halftime when Nolan James hooked up with Mar’keese Greene for a touchdown to take a 24-7 lead. The Warriors controlled the rest of the second half.

The Bulldogs finish the season 1-1 against their Suffolk foes.

“We didn’t meet our first goal of the season, which was to be city champions, so that was a bit disappointing,” Coach Kermit Buggs said. “The kids played with some effort, and they played hard. We just made too many mistakes.”

Offensively for the Bulldogs, they ran the ball a lot better, something Buggs had wanted to do. Leo Wethington finished the game with 20 carries for 98 yards and a touchdown. However, he still feels like the Bulldogs have yet to put together a complete game.

“With us being so young, we are going to continue to work to play a full four quarters of great offense,” Buggs said. “We are working on it, and we are getting there so we can look to start making this playoff push.”

Nansemond River is feeling good about where they are right now at 4-1 and are hoping with each week, they can continue to be talked about as one of the best in a loaded Southeastern District.

“I think we are just getting better and better,” Conyers said. “I think we are a team that everyone circles on their calendar. We just have to stay healthy and continue to limit our mistakes, and we’ll be fine.”

King’s Fork will take on Oscar Smith High School this Friday, while the Warriors will take on Grassfield High School.