By Brad Greer
When power meets speed more  often than not the former will over overcome the latter.

That was the  case Friday night as the North  Delta School flexed its muscles as the Green Wave rolled up a season-high 387 yards rushing on their way to a 34-21 district win over Marvell, Ark. Friday night. The victory moved North Delta into sole possession of second place in the district standing behind Desoto, (Ark.) with a 3-1 record and 5-3 overall.

Despite being penalized 13 times for 132 yards and turning the ball over five times, the Green Wave registered 420 yards of total offense – 302 of that coming in the first half. But perhaps the most impressive performance of the night was turned in by the Wave defense. North Delta held the Eagles to ten yards rushing while causing five turnovers including four interceptions.

Corbin Baker, Tres Brasell, Micheal Magee and Geri Lamm all picked off passes on the night while Jay McClora pounced on a fumble recovery. Maggee’s 71-yard interception return of a Clay Dubach pass give the Wave a 34-19 lead with 5:44 left in the game.

Things did not start good for North Delta as a clipping penalty negated Lamm’s 88-yard opening kickoff return. Starting on its own 14, the Green Wave marched 86 yards on 11 plays to take a 7-0 lead as Brasell scored from five yards out with Bill Gurley adding the PAT. Brasell did most of the damage on the drive by rushing the ball nine straight times.

After Marvell turned the ball over on downs on the North Delta 23, the Wave offense went to work again, this time traveling 77 yards on just five plays in 1:13 seconds as Bateman Greenlee snuck the ball in on a two-yard touchdown run. Gurley’s point after was partially blocked, leaving the score 13-0 with 1:30 left in the first quarter. The drive was aided by Nickle’s 57-yard scamper to the Eagle 30-yard line.

Following a Brasell fumble, Marvell scored on the first play of the second quarter on an 11-yard pass from Dubach to Ethan Spratlin. Dubach, who played with a torn ACL in his left knee, completed 25-of-56 passes for 271 yards.

   North Delta then expanded the lead to 19-7 midway through the second period on a Greenlee one-yard sneak. Nickle once again set up the scoring with a 35-yard run to the Eagle five-yard line.

  Marvell, ( 5-2, 2-2) took the opening kickoff of the second half and drove 62 yards in 10 plays to cut the lead to 19-13 when Scottie Patton scored on a eight-yard run at the 9:31 mark.

The turning point of the game came on the next series when Baker’s interception set up the Green Wave on the Marvell 21-yard line. Three plays later, Brasell raced in from 14 yards out. Hunter West then ran in the two-point conversion attempt to expand the lead to 27-13.

“That was big, we needed to punch that one in to give us some breathing room, “ said Green Wave head coach Lance Thomas adding “Corbin made a great play on the pick-off and we capitalized on it. Our defense was on the field a long time tonight and they hung in there and gave the offense some real good field position at times.”

After Magee’s interception return basically put the game away with 5:44 remaining in the game, the Eagles scored a late touchdown on a 25-yard run by Patton and a two-point conversion try also by Patton closed out the scoring.

Both teams had 21 first downs each in the contest. Brasell led all rushers with 146 yards on 28 carries followed by Nickle’s 116 yards on only six totes to go along with three receptions for 33 yards. Greenlee added nine carries for 45 yards. West contributed 32 yards on five carries before leaving the game in the second half with a knee injury.

Lamm and Magee rounded out rushing with 26 and 22 yards each. Greenlee was four-of-seven passing for 33 yards. Jim Tom Copeland caught one pass for zero yards.

North Delta returns home Friday for a homecoming date with Tupleo Christian. “ Homecoming at North Delta is a festival, that’s all I can say about it,” said Thomas. I really don’t know how we are going to handle it. It can get a little crazy around here at times. We are going to practice early on Monday and Tuesday and then let it fly when Friday gets here. Its a proud tradition here that the whole school gets involved in,” said Thomas.