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Football: Northside Christian 48, Calvary Christian 33

 
Published Sept. 4, 2016

CLEARWATER — For Northside Christian, the adversity didn't end when Hurricane Hermine left Florida, taking its home game against Calvary Christian away with it.

Hitting the road to Clearwater was one thing, but losing stellar quarterback Griffin Alstott to a slight ankle sprain for the second half of Saturday night's game could have been much more serious.

But the Mustangs were able to surge to a quick early lead, hold off a determined Warrior squad for a 48-33 victory, and find out that they have a very capable backup QB in reserve.

After Alstott threw for 139 yards and a pair of TDs, and added 47 yards on four carries en route to a 27-10 Mustang advantage, junior Tyler Rhodes went to work.

"This was a great opportunity for Tyler," said Northside Christian coach Mike Alstott. "He's a smart kid and he knows the offense. We took the pressure off him with the run, then he showed he could read the defense and make some good calls on his throws. He placed the ball where playmakers could make plays."

Rhodes finished 4-for-6 for 64 yards and two TDs to Derrick Wright, helping to preserve Northside's two-possession lead throughout the final 24 minutes.

"We practice a lot with both quarterbacks so there's good chemistry," said Wright, who also snagged one of Alstott's TD tosses. "And (our hurry-up offense) catches defenses off guard. They don't know what to expect."

Out of six offensive scoring drives for the Mustangs, the longest went for exactly two minutes, covering 80 yards.

But even at that frantic pace, Calvary hung close thanks to elusive QB Richie Mize (86 rushing yards and three TDs, 14 for 28 passing for 203 yards) but just couldn't get over the hump. Four turnovers ended up being a big barrier for the Warriors as Kamen Wilmington picked off two passes while D.J. Jackson added a 52-yard pick-six.

"Our system is in. We're a veteran group — we have 20 seniors — and our commitment to work hard in the summer and at camp … we're able to do (what we did Saturday)," Alstott said.