By Mike Deak
InkFreeNews

NorthWood’s NiTareon Tuggle pulls down a touchdown catch at Northridge Friday night. Photo courtesy Dale Tobias

MIDDLEBURY – NorthWood hung a stunning 42-6 win at Northridge Friday night, keeping itself in the conversation in the Northern Lakes Conference championship race.

Wood took a 28-0 lead on scores from four different players, starting with a 34-yard touchdown catch from JJ Payne off the arm of Kaden Lone. Ethan Evers then drove in from two yards out, and with two minutes still left in the opening quarter, Parker Filley pulled down a 31-yard pitch and catch from Lone.

NiTareon Tuggle and Owen Roeder connected on a 14-yard scoring pass and Filley caught his second touchdown of the night, a two-yarder from Roeder, to put the Panthers up 35-0 at a shocked Interra Field.

Payne would pull in his second scoring catch, a nine-yarder from Roeder midway through the third as NorthWood firmly had pulled away from Ridge early into the second half.

Tagg Gott had Ridge’s (4-2, 2-2 NLC) lone score on a two-yard run in the fourth quarter.

NorthWood improves to 3-1 in the NLC and 4-2 overall, a game back of unbeaten Concord and Warsaw, both 4-0 overall in conference play. The Panthers will visit Steele Field and Mishawaka next week.