After a tough 38-6 loss last week, North Forrest bounced back in a big way Friday night, defeating Sacred Heart 27-19 in a physical rivalry matchup.
North Forrest (3-5) came out determined to shake off the disappointment, and it showed early. The Eagles struck first in the opening quarter when Kevun Bell broke through the defense for a touchdown to take a 7-0 lead.
Sacred Heart’s offense struggled to find rhythm in the first quarter, taking multiple sacks and fumbling the ball on key possessions. North Forrest capitalized again in the second quarter when Treyvon Young powered into the end zone to extend the lead to 20-3.
Sacred Heart finally answered late in the second quarter when Hudson Moore scored with 1:20 left before halftime to close the gap to 20-10. Moments later, Sacred Heart’s defense made a big stand as Cash Cognevich recorded a crucial sack with 25 seconds remaining, setting up a fumble recovery for the Crusaders.
The turnovers didn’t stop there. The second quarter saw a chaotic stretch with both teams trading fumbles. First, the Eagles recovered one at the 4:49 mark, then Sacred Heart took it right back minutes later. The Crusaders took advantage, scoring again with 2:36 left before halftime to make it 20-19 and swing the momentum.
In the second half, both defenses tightened up. North Forrest’s defensive front made key stops to prevent Sacred Heart from gaining ground. With the game hanging in the balance, Jercaleb Walker sealed the win for the Eagles with a late touchdown run to make it 27-19.
North Forrest head coach Todd Lowery praised his team’s response after last week’s loss.
“Our guys played well; they showed a lot of grit,” Lowery said. “Things didn’t always go our way — we gave them seven opportunities — but we kept fighting and found a way to win.”
Lowery credited both sides of the ball for the improvement.
“Our offensive line played amazing; they really stepped up,” he said. “Our defense has played really, really well. We’ve held a lot of teams low in scoring, and that’s something we take pride in.”
Despite the loss, Sacred Heart head coach Ed Smith said he was proud of his team’s fight and resilience.
“We’ll watch film and see what we can fix,” Smith said. “We’ve got to find a way to start better and not get in a hole. These guys fight, though.”
When asked about his message moving forward, Smith kept it simple but optimistic.
“Keep playing. Get up when you get knocked down, and these guys will do it — I know it,” he said.
With the win, North Forrest looks to carry its momentum into next week’s matchup, while Sacred Heart aims to regroup and finish the season strong.
