It was a full-on dance party on the Northeast sideline following the Raiders’ 13-3 win over Navarro at Nelson Field on Thursday night.
But it was a well-deserved one.
After all, Northeast overcame transfers, a staph infection outbreak, and injuries that limited the Raiders to just 19 active players by the end of Thursday’s game.
.@ReaganFootball1 head coach Abdul Mustafa showing off his dance moves as the Raiders clinch their second playoff berth in three years. Story coming up for @texashsfootball #txhsfb pic.twitter.com/QFQvENkRUe
— Adam Ogburn (@aogburn00) November 4, 2022
Yet despite all the adversity the Raiders faced this season, they’re playoff bound for the second time in three years.
Raider head coach Abdul Mustafa said he couldn’t be prouder.
“Everybody wrote this group off,” Mustafa said. “Big adversity year. We’ve been through it. Ups and down. But hey, we’re iron men. That’s what we preach to them. We ready to go.”
Raider junior quarterback and defensive back Isaac Mavoungou had a big interception in the second quarter and also rushed for 23 yards on the ground.
Afterwards, he reflected on yet another hard-fought victory for the Raiders.
“Great team win, shoutout my whole team. Defense played hard.” Mavoungou said. “Oh man, this feels good. We’re a small team. I love the fight. It’s a grind, but we enjoy it. I love each one of these guys.”
Time to celebrate for @ReaganFootball1! The Raider coaches showing off some elusive moves here at Nelson Field.#txhsfb @texashsfootball pic.twitter.com/Un2aSx29aq
— Adam Ogburn (@aogburn00) November 4, 2022
On the other sideline, Navarro head coach Sebastian Velasquez was left pondering what could have been as his side’s playoff drought grew to 11 years.
“We had them where we wanted them,” Velasquez said. “In the second half, our defense adjusted, and we shut them out. I felt like we fought to the end, and every single play we had a chance. They say Northeast plays on tradition, and so I think eventually we’ll start our own tradition and get into the playoffs eventually.”
Despite the end result, Navarro started the game well as the Vikings marched 58 yards in 17 plays on its opening possession. However, Northeast stood strong on 3rd and goal, forcing Navarro to settle for a 25-yard field goal by Josue Avalos.
As the game progressed into the second quarter, Northeast’s offense began to get in its groove. Raider running back Clifton Washington found plenty of room on a misdirection play, racing 45 yards down the sideline for a touchdown that put Northeast up 7-3.
Two drives later, with the clock ticking down in the half, Northeast got some breathing room. Following Mavoungou’s interception, Noah Flemmings found paydirt on a four-yard touchdown scamper with just 13 seconds to play in the half.
That would be the last time either team scored.
In the second half, the Raiders mustered just 54 yards of offense and did not advance into Navarro territory.
The Vikings, meanwhile, found a little more success, advancing into to the red zone twice in the fourth quarter, but Northeast came up with two crucial late-game stops.
“Coach Crayton, our defensive coordinator, he had them prepared,” Mustafa said. “He makes sure they know what’s going on, and they believed, and they executed.”
Even though Navarro’s season came to an end on Friday, it was still a season of progress for the Vikings. In Velasquez’s first year, Navarro’s 2-8 record is the most wins the Vikings have had in a season since 2018.
“Our theme of the year was ‘Prove them wrong,’ Velasquez said. “We knew we didn’t want to be at the bottom of the district, which we did get on top of [Eastside] and [LASA], so I think that’s something we can build on. I’m going to do whatever it takes to get these kids ready for next season.”
Vealsquez said that even as the Vikings’ focus turns towards next season, he won’t forget the ten seniors who played their last game for Navarro on Thursday. Velasquez arrived at Navarro four years ago as the offensive coordinator, the same time those seniors first stepped first on the Navarro campus.
“We went through COVID and all that,” Velasquez said. “It’s tremendous how [the seniors] have grown. But you know, we have a good junior class coming up and our freshmen handled business against Northeast, so I think it’s looking good for us.”
Northeast celebrates by singing its school song with the Raider crowd.
Meanwhile, Northeast’s seniors have at least one more game ahead of them after a 4-5-1 regular season. The Raiders will be keeping a close eye on the Belton-Waco University game tomorrow to determine who they will face next week.
And even though the Raiders will be heavy underdogs as the number four seed coming out of District 12-5A Division II, Mustafa said his team will be prepared to take advantage of the opportunity they have earned.
“Hats off to Navarro, they scouted us really good,” Mustafa said. “We’ll figure out some things and put in a couple of wrinkles, but we’re happy to be going to the playoffs. The playoffs… anything can happen!”
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