The North Atlanta Warriors rolled into North Dekalb Stadium on Sept. 8 to take on region foe Dunwoody. The team out of Buckhead sported both an undefeated record and the chance to make some history for what recently has been a victory-starved program.

The team rose to the occasion by blanking the Wildcats 14 to 0. It was the first shutout for the Warriors in six years of play and the first time in eight years North Atlanta has started the season 3 and 0. The team rode on the backs of three offensive standouts: senior running back Tariq Moore, senior wide receiver Carey Wynn and sophomore quarterback Wiley Hartley.

For the Warriors the game’s initial score came on the first drive of the first quarter with a 17-yard end zone strike by Hartley to a wide open receiver Carey Wynn. An equally potent pass-receiving tandem was established between Hartley and Moore. The two further punished the Dunwoody defense with a highlight-film-worthy score at the end of the first half. With the Warriors deep in their own territory, Hartley connected with Moore for a 15-yard pass. From there the senior scampered, juked and powered his way all the way to the opponent’s one-yard line. On the ensuing play, senior running back Deondre’ Ezzard punched the ball in to put the visiting team up by two touchdowns.

For the game, Moore racked up 111 receiving yards and averaged nearly 28 yards per reception. Hartley, the Warrior player of the game, passed for 159 yards, had a completion rate 62 percent, and had no interceptions.

A stout Warrior defense, led by junior cornerback Justin Sanders and sophomore linebacker Davis Bell, worked hard to ensure that the Wildcats never saw the end zone. They limited any possible damage and spent most of the evening in the Wildcat backfield as evidenced by Dunwoody’s negative six yards in rushing for the game.

Hartley said the team was mindful of a blown halftime lead in last year’s loss against the Wildcats. “It says a lot that we remembered that and were determined to hold on to our lead,” Hartley said. “All credit to the defense for shutting them down the whole game.”

The Warriors opened their 2017 campaign on Aug. 18 with a resounding 21 to 7 victory over Grady High School. The emotional win was only the fourth North Atlanta victory in 15 tries in the recently lopsided intown rivalry game. The victory garnered the team honors as Fox 5’s first 2017 High 5 Sports Team of the Week. The Warriors followed the Grady Victory with a 21-7 victory over KIPP Atlanta.

The team plays in an always-tough 7-6A region and more tests await the men in black and silver who operate under the leadership of head coach Jeremy Gainer. Up next is a Sept. 15 game against region opponent Chattahoochee and tough games against the likes of Alpharetta, Johns Creek and Cambridge will follow. But no matter which way the season goes, region and non-region foes alike can know that “The New North” means the Warriors will bring their best each Friday night.