The North Atlanta Warriors started the season with two victories and spirits were still high on Friday, Sept. 11, at Grady Stadium when the Warriors took the field against the traditionally strong Dalton Catamounts. The home team’s winning streak came to a crashing end as the Warriors were crushed 49 to 0.

The Warrior defense started off the game in a stout manner and the first quarter was marked by a series of three-and-outs between both teams. The game’s no-scoring first quarter was an offensive stalemate and the Warrior sideline was buoyed by the strong defense they were seeing on the field.

But a scoring floodgate was opened in the second quarter and Dalton’s size began to wear down the Warrior lines. “Once they started scoring we got down on ourselves,” said senior running back Julious Washington.

Quarterback Jack Ferguson faced a frustrating evening and was scrambling for much of the game. “Once fatigue set in and from there they really started to get the better of us,” said junior linebacker Alex Figueroa.

Head coach Jeremy Gainer and his coaching staff are now hard at work to prepare the team for its game this Friday, Sept. 18, when the Warriors will take on Riverwood High School. The game starts at 7:30 p.m. at Riverwood’s stadium. Last season the Raiders beat the Warriors by a sizeable margin so this year there’s hope that North Atlanta will have a better showing, and possibly even a noteworthy win. “We’re planning on showing them that this is a new North Atlanta program,” Washington said.

On Friday, an SGA-sponsored Spirit Bus will deliver Black and Silver faithful to Riverwood. In the opposing team’s stadium in Sandy Springs, North Atlanta fans, players, and coaches are hoping – and aiming – for the best. Go Warriors!