October 2, 2024

By DAVID PIERCE Sports Connection Team For the second consecutive week the Westside Warriors will be playing in a homecoming game. Last week, the Warriors (1-3, 0-1 4A-3) hosted Trumann for their homecoming. Friday, the Blytheville Chickasaws (1-2, 1-0) welcome Westside as their homecoming opponent...

Jontavious Johnson
Jontavious Johnson

By DAVID PIERCE

Sports Connection Team

For the second consecutive week the Westside Warriors will be playing in a homecoming game.

Derick King
Derick King

Last week, the Warriors (1-3, 0-1 4A-3) hosted Trumann for their homecoming. Friday, the Blytheville Chickasaws (1-2, 1-0) welcome Westside as their homecoming opponent.

The Warriors were blanked by the Wildcats and hope to avoid a similar result Friday as the Chicks look to reach the .500 mark with a win while remaining undefeated in league play.

Blytheville earned its first win of the season at Cave City, defeating the host team, 32-6.

The point total eclipsed the number the Chicks scored in their first two games and they’ll look to put up as many, if not more points, against Westside.

The Chicks have the skill players to get it done with quarterback Jontavious Johnson, all-purpose player Derrick King and Courtney Rogers.

Rogers carried the load Friday in the Chicks win with 93 rushing yards on 16 carries and two touchdowns. King had a rushing touchdown and Naddarius Wilson had a punt return for a score.

Keeping the team focused is the chore this week as Chicks head coach Jett Howard knows the trials of homecoming in addition to coping with Westside.

“(Westside) is a well-coached team,” he said. “They play hard to the very end and I can appreciate that … They have athletes that can go so we’re going to have to fight.

“With it being homecoming we have to harp on focus, focus, focus,” Howard added. “At the end of this week we have something we have to do and that’s win the game.”

The Warriors are seeking their second road win this season after defeating Riverview two weeks ago, 34-19. It was the team’s first win as a visitor since 2022.

They’re also seeking to snap a two-game losing streak to Blytheville which has won those two contests by a combined 70 points.

The Chicks are 3-1 against Westside having won, 50-21, in 2020 before Westside avenged that loss with a 27-0 in 2021.

Gavin Dodson quarterbacks the Warriors after moving from running back and operates the team’s single wing offense.

Kadan Purvis is the go-to guy offensively and was key in the victory at Riverview with 200 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns. Dodson tallied 66 yards in the win and threw a pair of touchdowns to Purvis. Ashdon Henson, a sophomore, contributes from his spot in the backfield, too.

Dakota Neely pilots the team’s defense and has recorded a scoop and score this season and the squad also welcome Clay McMellon back to the fold after injury slowed him early this season.

Game time is 7 p.m.

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