2010 District 1-AA Champions
North Delta Green Wave Varsity Football

By Brad Greer

Forget about all the razzle-dazzle and trick plays associated with Halloween. The execution of North Delta’s offense Friday night against Kirk was just plain scary.

The No.4 ranked Green Wave rolled up a season-high 488 total yards of offense in route to a 39-0 romp of the host Raiders to capture the District 1-AA championship in  the regular season finale’  for both schools.

North Delta, (8-1; 4-0) will now focus its attention on hosting a first round play-off game as they take on District 3 runner-up Manchester Academy Friday night at 7 p.m. Kirk saw its season end  at 2-8; 1-4 in district.

Quarterback Bryan Nickle led the Green Wave offense with 237 all-purpose yards  including 119 passing and 118 rushing and two touchdowns while the North Delta defense flexed their muscles by forcing four turnovers in the contest.

Head coach Dan Werner said senior leadership  has been the catalyst for North Delta’s championship run this season.

“This group of seniors has just been outstanding for us all season long. They have been a great class long before I got here and they are all competitors. They are good football players—tough, smart kids who know how to get the job done. They wanted this district championship since they were in the  seventh or eighth grade and have worked hard to get to where they are now,” said Werner.

Taylor Morris set the tone early for the Green Wave by returning the opening kickoff to the Raider 43 yard line. John Cody Dalrymple kept the North Delta drive alive later in the series with a 12 yard reception from Nickle on 3rd- and – 10 from the Kirk 33. Three plays later, Tres Brasell busted a 26-yard run up the middle to give the Green Wave a 7-0 lead with Kyle Devazier’s PAT with 8:41 remaining in the first quarter.

Nickle extended the North Delta lead to 13-0 later in the period as the senior called his own number on a fake pitchout to fullback Michael Magee and raced nine yards for the score at the 4:07 mark. Nickle’s 56-yard bomb to Dalrymple to the Raider nine yard-line keyed the drive.

The Wave extended their lead to 19-0 early in the second quarter as Brasell capped off a 10- play, 80-yard drive with a two yard run with 10:40 left in the first half. Brasell finished with 84 yards on 12 carries and a pair of touchdowns.Kirk then put together their most impressive drive of the game and the possession by moving the ball to the Green Wave eight, but could not get into the end zone as defensive back Corbin Baker stopped Tyler Kirk on the North Delta one-yard line on 4th-and goal halting the Raider drive.

North Delta extended its lead to 26-0 in the third quarter as Magee busted an 80-yard touchdown run. Devazier’s PAT was good.

On Kirk’s next possession, Baker stepped in front of a Cade Moody pass and raced 53 yards for the senior’s second interception return for a touchdown in as many weeks to make the score 32-0.

Baker also had a 45-yard “pick six” in North Delta’s 63-14 win at Greenville Christian last week. Derrick Shawn and Bailey Guckert also picked off Moody in the contest. Will Dunlap recovered a fumble for the Green Wave defense.

Catlin McArthur added North Delta’s last touchdown as the senior scored his first touchdown of his high school career on a 30- yard run with 4:01 remaining in the contest. Ty Ferguson booted the point after attempt to make the score 39-0.

The Green Wave amassed 369 yards rushing as Magee followed Nickle with 88 yards on three carries while Morris added six carries for 41 yards and one catch for 14 yards. McArthur chipped in with two carries for 34 yards while Dalrymple had two carries for six yards to go along with six receptions for a season-high 105 yards.

Brandon Hubbard led Kirk in rushing with 13 carries for 82 yards as the Raiders had 162 yards rushing in the game. Moody was 10-of-19 passing for 74 yards with three interceptions.

Morris and Dalrymple each had six tackles to lead the North Delta defense while Guckert and Will Reynolds added five stops each.