The Nansemond River High School football team earned a 42-16 win over Hickory High School last Friday night.

The Warriors went to 7-2 on the season with the blowout win. It was a game that started a bit slow for the Warriors. However, they were able to pick up the pace and get a strong win to add to their playoff profile.

“We didn’t have as strong of a first half as we wanted, but in the second half, we played to our expectations,” Coach Justin Conyers said. “We are always satisfied with a win, but we are always trying to look for ways to make ourselves better.”

Brent Stratton did it all for the Warriors last Friday, scoring five touchdowns, which included four rushing touchdowns and one receiving. He finished with more than 150 total yards. Nolan James was 7-of-11 for 167 yards and a touchdown.

Nansemond River will now shift its focus to Deep Creek High School. They are a fellow regional opponent and currently hold a playoff spot as well. Both teams only have two losses, and even though they both will likely make the playoffs, the matchup could affect seedings.

“We have a chance to finish the season better this year than we did last year,” Conyers said. “Last year we went into the playoffs 7-3; this year we have a chance to be 8-2, and we feel like we can do that. I’ve told the guys the playoffs have already started for us. We just want to keep getting better and keep trying to find ways to limit our mistakes.”

Conyers believes if the Warriors run the football and play great defense as they have been all season, they can beat anyone. Deep Creek will come to Nansemond River, and with a win, there is still hope that the Warriors could make a run at hosting a playoff game as well.