When Justin Northwest opened its season 1-2, it wasn’t exactly where head coach Bill Poe wanted to be, but he knew the team was still in a good place.
Then, after a district-opening 33-21 win against Abilene Cooper, the defending district, he realized what he had on his hands. Cooper had defeated Northwest 54-21 the previous year. From a 33-point loss one season to a 12-point win the next, the growth was visible.
“At that moment I felt like, ‘Hey, we got something going here. We’ve got something special that’s brewing,’” Poe said.
That win against Cooper sparked something. Now, Northwest will face one of its biggest tests of the season at Fort Worth Brewer on Friday.
Brewer (7-1, 5-0) and Northwest (6-2, 5-0) are battling for sole possession of first place in District 3-5A Div. I.
Brewer is undefeated at home so far this season and has outscored its opponents 334-189, which is about an average of 18 points per game. The Bears are led by running back Montrail Cushionberry, who ran for 290 yards and two touchdowns in Brewer’s most recent upset against Azle 42-27 on the road.
Quarterback Jaylen Spriggs has passed for 1,090 yards and 11 touchdowns this season, averaging about 155 yards per game.
“Defensively we have a challenge in front of us,” Poe said. “We know we’re not going to be able to stop them, but at least we can control the clock and control the momentum and hopefully keep them from getting the average that they’re used to in our district race.”
Northwest has offensive power in itself behind dual-threat quarterback Jake Strong who has accounted for 29 touchdowns and 2,535 yards of total offense in eight games. The Texans are coming off of a 66-14 win against Granbury where Strong passed for 203 yards and three touchdowns.
“It’s going to be a big game for Jake. He thrives on that kind of pressure and that kind of mentality,” Poe said, noting the importance of the upcoming game.
The tiebreaker between Northwest and Brewer will begin at 7 p.m. Friday at Bear Stadium in Fort Worth.
“It could very easily turn into a track meet,” Poe said.
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