Amanda Bishop
NCR Editor & Publisher
“A whole team victory” occurred as the Warriors won their first game of the postseason Friday night.
Coach Gunnar Cox said the credit goes to all of the players and coaches coming together and getting the job done. West Nassau defeated Stanton 48-12 on Warrior Field and will host Umatilla Friday at 7 p.m.
The Warriors had more than 300 yards in just 25 offensive plays against the Blue Devils.
“Pretty much every time we touched the ball, we were scoring,” Cox said.
Senior quarterback Pryce Arnold was 4-for-5 with 119 passing yards and two touchdowns. Junior Avery Griffin received both of the touchdown passes for a combined 62 yards.
Seniors Andi Ataiza and Skyler Freeman each added a touchdown, as did junior Smo Green and freshman Cameron Johns. Senior Gavin Velazquez was 6-for-6 on extra-point kicks.
Defensively, seniors Levi Bowler and Hunter Gentry led the team in tackles with six apiece. Senior Landon Scaff and junior Seth Gentry each had five. Senior Brian Wheat, junior Manny Davis and freshman Van Alexander each had four. Overall, the defense had 64 tackles, with three for loss, and two quarterback hurries. Bowler also had an interception for a 30-yard gain for the Warriors.
West Nassau entered the postseason as the No. 1 seed, now with a 10-1 record. The team’s only loss was to county rival Yulee. The Warriors host 11-0 Umatilla Friday, which was ranked No. 2 entering the postseason. The rankings are based on strengths of the regular season schedules, winning percentage and MaxPreps.com rankings.
“(The Bulldogs are) 11-0. They thought they should be the No. 1 seed. They’ve won every game and we’ve got to play our very best,” Cox noted.
West Nassau aims to showcase a sound defense and correct steps on offense during the game.
“We’re just working on the little things,” Cox said.
In 2024, the Warriors fell to Fernandina Beach 24-20 in the first round of playoffs. With a first-round victory under their belts, they want to represent that No. 1 ranking well. A win Friday night would have West Nassau host either Fernandina Beach (6-5) or Paxon (7-4) Nov. 14.
“It’s what we competed for in the regular season to get to this so we don’t have to travel now,” Cox said.
“We’ve got to dance. We’ve set ourselves up from the regular season and now it’s time to finish the job.”