Offense:

The first win of the season, no matter what form it comes in, is a sweet one...and this was one to be enjoyed.

On Friday night, the Northmen put up a total of 542 total yards and 48 points. Numbers like those point to a great night, no matter what level you play at.

Offense MVP went to '22 KeAndre Braxton. The senior put up 173 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns. His longest gain of 58 yards was a powerful run that resulted in one of his TD's.  '22 Ty Clemens QB and backup RB '25 Travon Pankey would also join Braxton on the night, each also having a 50+ yard TD verses the Patriots. 

Having multiple players who can break open a long run at any given time is a real advantage and points to the depth of this Northmen team. Oak Park amassed 330 rushing yards on the night, and points to a key to their success in week 3.
 
The rushing attack paired nicely with the Northmen's balanced air attack. '22 QB Ty Clemens threw for 212 yards and 2 touchdowns. Clemens also found a way to connect with '22 Bubba Bogart in week 3 on a 63-yard touchdown, after two big tosses late in Week 2 vs Grain Valley. There were three Northmen with 60 yards  nights.  '21 Marlon Gant Jr., '21 Xavier Williams, and '22 Bubba Bogart combined for 209 yards and 2 touchdowns. It is a lot of fun to watch the differing skill sets of these three wide receivers on Friday nights.  It's easy to see why all three are in the top 10 for receiving yards for Class 5 in Missouri. The ball is getting spread around at Oak Park, which will make it difficult for opposing teams to prep for this Northmen team moving forward. 
 
You can't run the ball or complete a pass without an offensive line. If you know the position, you'd have seen this position group win in the trenches on Friday night. If these five guys can keep improving like this each week, it could be the last puzzle piece of a very exciting Oak Park offense.

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 Defense:

 The defense had pitched a complete game in week 3 only giving up 13 points to the Patriots. Seven of the points came in the fourth quarter when the Junior Varsity got a chance to play. The defense did give up a season high 206 passing yards, and will be something the Northmen need to shore up moving forward. The week 3 defense appeared to be more gap sound, which really put a stain on the Patriots run game (31 yards on 29 attempts), resulting in Truman spending most of the night in the air.  It is the most action this secondary has seen all year, and those reps will payoff for the Northmen in the coming weeks.  15 different players recorded tackles on Friday night with '24 Evan Cook leading the pack with 5 solo tackles and the lone interception of the night.  '22 Paul Hernandez also made his presence felt on the field with 4 solo and 4 assists including 1 TFL.  '21 Tarik Gill showed up in week 3 with 3 tackles of his own.  Young players seemed to be stepping up, and it couldn't be at a better time, with '22 Jett Sutton being sidelined.  This Oak Park defense will continue to improve each week, but there is no question their physicality was better against this Patriot team.
 

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What's Next?

 The first win of the season was definitely a fun one but, it's already time to move on.

The week 4 game will be a home contest for the Northmen who look to take on a tough Belton team and try to win the first game at the new Oak Park Stadium.

Come out and support!

The game will be at 7 on Friday night, GO NORTHMEN!