STONEWALL – With a returning offensive trio of quarterback Luke Delafield, receiver Cole Cory, and running back Kenny Thomas, North DeSoto didn’t have many questions about how it would score points this season.
But a defense that replaced key figures on all three levels wanted to make a statement against a physical Union Parish squad that won the Division III Non-Select championship a year ago.
The Griffins defense bowed their necks, slowing the Farmers third-quarter momentum with stops in a 33-21 win Friday.
North DeSoto raced to a 27-7 halftime lead before fending off a Union Parish comeback attempt.
“Questions were answered about our young, inexperienced defense,” North DeSoto coach Dennis Dunn said. “We won in the trenches, and at linebacker, we played really well.”
Now North DeSoto (1-0) turns its attention to a trip to Center (Texas) on Friday in the first road game of the year.
The Griffins outdueled Center in a wild 57-52 game last year, but contrary to what the score indicated, North DeSoto had to rely on its ground game because of struggles in the air.
Both Thomas and then senior Trysten Hopper topped the 150-yard mark in that game, and the rushing attack will certainly be a factor again against a Central team that throws the ball all over the field.
Center is 2-0 this season and averaging more than 40 points per game. Quarterback Travis Belin and receiver Timothy Johnson have a connection that rivals Delafield/Cory as Johnson has caught seven of Belin’s 10 passing touchdowns and averages 220 yards per game.
“The Center game is always competitive and a true test for us,” Dunn said. “We were very balanced in the run/pass ratio in the first week, and we had success in both which led to our outstanding production.”
The Delafield/Cory hookup was in full swing against Union Parish as Delafield threw for 318 yards and two touchdowns to one pick on 22-of-29. Cory totaled 196 of those yards on 11 catches with receivers Jarred Jackson and Chaz Martinez catching a touchdown each.
Thomas averaged nearly 10 yards per carry as he piled up 174 rushing yards on 17 carries and two touchdowns.
The visit to Center provides North DeSoto’s toughest road test of the season.
North DeSoto’s five road games include Booker T. Washington, Southwood, Loyola Prep, and Bossier.
In fact the hairiest part of the schedule comes at the beginning, which started with Union Parish and continues with home dates against West Monroe and Northwood in the next two weeks.