The 2022 football region shift placed North Atlanta in a tough region with new and unfamiliar foes. One new opponent is the Dubs’ crosstown rival Riverwood International Charter School, located just a short 10-minute drive away from North Atlanta. Given the close proximity and bad blood between the schools, players and fans circled the game as a marquee matchup. With the matchup being the final home game and Senior Night, the stakes were at an all-time high. The Raiders stood in the way of a historic season, where the Dubs could reach the playoffs for the first time since 2019. 

The Warriors entered the game as heavy favorites following an impressive 4-2 start to the year, while Riverwood entered the game with just a single win. Despite being clear favorites, the Warriors fell behind early, following a Riverwood rushing touchdown early in the first quarter and impressive defense, but the deficit did not last long. The Warriors responded as offensive weapon Jamie O’Kelly found the endzone on a seven-yard rush, then another touchdown, this time on a 20-yard pass from quarterback Lorenzo Lennon, putting the Dubs up 12-7 going into the halftime break. “The first half did not go the way we wanted,” said O’Kelly. “We knew we had to turn up the heat in the second half.

Following a senior night ceremony at halftime, the Warriors came out firing on all cylinders as O’Kelly continued his career game, scoring another two touchdowns in the third quarter. Senior tight end Randolph Smith got in on the action with an 18-yard yard pass from Lennon to start the fourth quarter. The Dubs put their game on cruise control, coasting to a 41-13 victory and defeating their crosstown region rivals. “Being up five at half was not good enough,” said junior safety Connor Hughes. “But in the second half, we came out on fire and were able to win big.”

The dominant performance allowed the Warriors to improve to 5-2 on the season and 1-1 in region play. From here on out, the Dubs are exclusively playing regional opponents as they seek their second playoff berth in the past four years, something that has never happened in school history. The road to playoffs is not easy, as they must win two out of the final games, all of which are on the road. The end-of-season playoff push begins against three-time state champions in Marist, followed by South Cobb and Dunwoody. Lock-in Warriors because this season is coming down to the wire.