CLEVELAND — After a one-season absence, North Hall football is back in more familiar territory.
The Trojans sealed their spot in the state playoffs on Friday courtesy a 30-13 win at White County -- a win that also eliminated the Warriors from contention.
After a tough first season in charge, coach David Bishop could reflect on an impressive response by his program.
"It feels great. This is probably one of the most emotional wins I've had since I've been here," said Bishop, who was a longtime assistent before taking over the program in 2014. "This is great for our kids, great for our coaches."
The win yielded the No. 3 seed from Region 8-AAAA for North Hall (6-4, 5-2 Region 8-AAAA), which will travel to Sandy Creek next Friday for the first round of the Class AAAA playoffs.
Knowing that White County could have thrown a wrench into the Trojans' plans and get into the postseason via a 12-point victory could have tripped up a less focused squad. But Bishop said his team didn't get carried away with possible scenarios.
"Our kids just came out, and we told them early in the week to have fun and forget about everything else -- do that and it will take care of itself," Bishop said.
North Hall took care of its offensive attack on Friday, rolling up 345 yards -- 257 of that rushing -- as it jumped out to a 17-7 halftime lead. The Warriors (3-7, 3-4) battled back just after the interval, cutting the Trojans lead to 17-13, only to see Sam Jackson respond with an 11-yard touchdown run to restor a 23-13 cushion.
"We're able to adjust so much to what people are doing during games, and I'm proud of coaching staff for that," Bishop said. "We're able to counter a lot of things that defenses show us."
Kyle Bacus paced the North Hall ground game with 120 yards rushing on 16 carries, while Jackson and Maddox Turner added touchdown runs. Meanwhile, quarterback Jackson Madonna proved deadly efficient through the air, completing two passes (of two attempted) for 88 yards and two scores -- one each to Christian Barbossa and Jackson.
White County, meanwhile, finished the game with 213 total yards, including a balanced 106 rushing and 107 passing. Nasser Clark and Kaleb Crane each notched touchdown for the Warriors -- who missed out on a fourth straight postseason berth.
North Hall, meanwhile, is looking toward next week's road playoff game with high hopes.
"We've yet to win a playoff game on the road, so I'm challenging the seniors to leave a legacy and do something that's never been done before," Bishop said.
White County's season is now complete.
