PHOTOS: Northwood clicks on all cylinders and rolls past SVC 54-0 in Coach Nobles’ debut

Travis Arena had a career high nine catches for Northwood and got the game ball from his teammates. (Photos Fernando M. Donado, For OC Sports Zone)

It was hard to determine if Northwood High coach Paige Nobles or his players were more nervous prior to the start of Friday night’s football opener against Saddleback Valley Christian at Irvine Stadium.

To see the slide show, please click on the first photo

Both displayed some pregame jitters but the jitters didn’t last long as the T’wolves quickly settled down and dominated on both sides of the ball as Northwood cruised to a 54-0 victory over the Warriors. 

Jaden Piazza completed 21 passes for 203 yards and threw four touchdowns and Travis Arena caught a career-high nine passes and scored three touchdowns to lead the T’Wolves.    

It marked the fourth consecutive year the two teams have met and the second year in a row the T’Wolves have notched a win.

“I was so nervous and excited before the start of the game; this win takes the weigh off my shoulders,” said Nobles, who begins his first season as head coach of the T’Wolves. “We didn’t have a scrimmage, so we expected some early mistakes and a lot of the first quarter was our scrimmage. The guys dug in and the long hours in the spring and the summer paid off. I’m proud of these guys.”

Northwood recovered SVC’s opening onside kick and promptly marched 57 yards in nine plays to take a 7-0 lead. The 6-4 Piazza had two critical double-digit rushes to spark the opening series before culminating the scoring drive with a 3-yard TD pass to Arena.

Moments later, following a Warriors’ 3-and-out, the pair hooked up a second time on a 6-yard TD pass play to give the T’wolves a 14-0 lead after only eight minutes of play. 

“It feels great to win your first game of the season in front of your friends and fans, we could hear the fans and the band and that boosted us up,” Piazza said. “It definitely pumps us up going forward.”

SVC had two excellent opportunities in the second quarter to strike back but came up short. Twice the Warriors had the ball deep in Northwood’s territory but the T’Wolves defense, led by defensive tackle Xavier Cousar, defensive end Fayez Kobeissy and Arena, foiled the Warriors’ threat.

Northwood recorded four sacks in the opening half and held SVC to under 20 yards of offense.

“We were in their backfield on every play and we sent a message that we mean business this season,” said Cousar, who recorded two sacks. “It was an amazing team win.”

Late in the half, Piazza tossed his third touchdown pass of the game, a 10-yard to Arena, who made an outstanding leaping grab in the end zone over a defender for the score as Northwood upped its lead to 21-0. 

“We set the tone and put up 54 points,” said Arena, who also excelled on special teams play with a blocked punt in the first half that set up a T’Wolves score.

With under a minute left in the half, Arena blocked a Warriors’ punt and one play later Piazza found Trey Littlejohn in the end zone for his fourth TD pass of the game, propelling the T’Wolves to a 27-0 halftime lead.  

Daniel Kim added an 8-yard TD run in the fourth quarter and freshman Adam Harper returned an interception 32 yards for a TD and Leif Satermo scored on a late TD run to finish the T’Wolves scoring.

“We have a lot of new kids who haven’t had any varsity experience,” said Warriors coach Brandon Chambers. “We hope to build from our mistakes each week and continue to improve.” 

Littlejohn caught six passes and Daniel Kim rushed for 70 yards and a touchdown for Northwood.

Evan Spry led the Warriors with 58 yards rushing. 

STATS

Passing: SVC, Howorko 2-11-2 2 yards, Greene 0-3-0; NW, Piazza 21-31-0, 203 yards, 4 TDs.  

Rushing: SVC, Spry 13-58, Greene 2-19; NW, Piazza 10-37, Kim 8-70.

Receiving: SVC, Spry 2-1; NW, Arena 9-103, Littlejohn 5-35.

—Tom Connolly, For OC Sports Zone