By Brad Greer

North Delta head football coach Brandon Ciaramitaro has always stressed to his team about the importance of improving as a team each week. And while there is no sure thing as playing a perfect game, the Green Wave came pretty close to doing just that in a homecoming contest  against Clarksdale Lee Friday night.

Myles Durham was crowned the 2015 homecoming queen during halftime festivities.

North Delta dominated in all three phases of the game in offense, defense and special teams in route to a 27-0 shutout of the Colts in a District 1-AAA tilt. The victory moves the Green Wave to 2-0 in district play and 4-1 overall and sets up a key division battle against undefeated Indianola at home Friday night. North Delta’s regularly scheduled game at Bayou will be moved to next Friday in Cleveland.

“This was a huge challenge for us tonight. Lee has a very good ball team but it is always good when you can win your homecoming game but more importantly pick up a district win,” said Ciaramitaro. “I am extremely proud of the way we have come together as a team and have improved each week and hopefully will get better as the season goes on. Our main focus was to eliminate some of the costly penalties and protect the ball. Then the sky is the limit on how good we can be. With the exception of three penalties and one turnover tonight I think our team has taken strides in that direction.”

Sophomore running back Kaleb Joyner scored on a pair of short touchdown runs while Will Kidder and Hunter Baker added one scoring run as the Green Wave took a 14-0 lead at halftime before adding two more in the third quarter. Kidder was a near-perfect 13-of-16 passing for 147 yards and led the team with 139 yards on 13 carries.

North Delta rolled up 381 yards of total offense with 221 of that via the ground game. Joiner finished the night with 61 yards on 17 carries while Baker chipped in three carries for 13 yards including a 12- yard scoring run to give the Wave a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. Joseph Wright had three carries for three yards while Baker West chipped in one carry for six yards.

North Delta’s defense meanwhile held the Colts to 137 total yards and six first downs. Baker led the team with eight tackles while Austin Pointer and Michael Prine recorded five tackles and each had a fumble recovery. Tripp Savage collected four stops and one pass broken up. Ethan Calvert chipped in with three tackles and a quarterback sack. Jones Montgomery and Tyler Holland also registered three stops.

After both teams exchanged punts on their opening drives, Joyner gave the Green Wave a 7-0 lead at the 7:20 mark with seven- yard scoring run to end a four-play; 40-yard drive. North Delta later put together a nine play; 86- yard drive late in the quarter to extend the margin to 14-0 on Baker’s run and Hudson Parnell’s successful PAT. 

The score remained that way until 4:34 left in the third quarter when Joiner crashed in from two yards out for a 20-0 advantage after Parnell’s PAT was blocked. Kidder later added the final score on a one-yard plunge with 3:07 left in the third with Parnell booting the point after. 

Dennis King led North Delta in receptions with five catches for 71 yards followed by John Haga Lewis, four catches for 29 yards. Bailey Ross had two catches for 38 yards. Joyner contributed with one catch for seven yards. L. J. Mills had one reception for 13 yards and Baker one catch for two yards. Cole Devazier completed one pass for 13 yards in the fourth quarter.