PREP FOOTBALL: Venice wins OT shootout over Northwestern

VENICE — Two high-powered offenses went toe-to-toe at Powell-Davis Stadium on Friday night, and the result was an instant classic.

After four unhinged four quarters led to overtime, Venice got it done on both sides of the ball to secure the victory against Teddy Bridgewater and Miami Northwestern.

Following an interception on third down by Venice defensive back Kyni Brantley that kept the score tied during Northwestern’s overtime possession, the Indians turned to sophomore running back Dorien Jones to put the cherry on top of a game that had it all.

Jones took the handoff and moved to his right, finding a hole and scoring the game-clinching touchdown to hand the Indians the 48-42 win.

Coming in, many predicted a high-scoring affair. However, the contest got off to a bit of a sluggish start.

After a couple of early drive-killing turnovers from Venice (2-0) and a missed field goal by Northwestern (1-1), neither team had scored as the game moved into the latter portion of the opening quarter.

However, the Bulls would break the scoreless tie at the 4:45 mark after running back Tarvail Mathis Jr. rumbled in from 17 yards away.

That lead wouldn’t last, though, with the Indians scoring on their next two possessions to jump in front.

After Venice kicker Brunno Reus hit a 53-yard field goal to make it a 7-3 ballgame, the Indians took the lead after choosing to roll the dice on a fourth-and-one at the Northwestern 9.

Jones was given a handoff, bouncing it outside and finding pay dirt. His efforts handed the Indians a 10-7 advantage with 24 seconds remaining in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the lead changed hands four times as both offenses found a rhythm.

For the Bulls, five-star wideout Calvin Russell Jr. made his presence felt, catching two TD passes from quarterback Leon Strawder — one from 16 yards and another from 60 — giving Northwestern short-lived leads both times.

For Venice, quarterback Jayce Nixon found his favorite target — wideout Winston Watkins Jr. — for a 19-yard score before running back Jamarice Wilder broke through for a 33-yard touchdown run with 56 seconds before half.

Wilder’s score handed the Indians a 26-21 lead at the break.

In the second half, the cat-and-mouse game continued.

On its opening drive, Northwestern marched down the field on an 80-yard scoring drive that chewed up nearly six minutes. It was topped off by a seven-yard quarterback keeper for a touchdown from Strawder to give the Bulls the lead again.

The Indians had another answer.

After a 29-yard pass-and-catch from Nixon to tight end Jackson Scott set up Venice at the Northwestern one-yard line, Watkins Jr. made it look easy on a one-yard score, pushing the Indians ahead, 32-27, with 4:12 in the third.

After a rare stop by the Venice defense, the Indians had a chance to push their lead to two possessions. However, a costly holding penalty inside the Northwestern 10 — followed by a missed 27-yard field goal from Reus — left the Indians empty-handed.

In the fourth quarter, the Bulls took advantage of Venice’s miscues, regaining the lead at 35-32 on a 30-yard touchdown from Strawder to wideout Daruis Johnson.

Yet again, Venice wasn’t finished, moving the ball methodically down the field before Wilder found a crease from five yards out on a third down to give his team a 39-35 advantage with under five minutes remaining.

Back came Northwestern. Strawder found Russell Jr. in the end zone for the third time — this one being a 58-yard TD — and the Bulls led, 42-39, with 2:46 to play.

That was plenty of time to Venice’s offense.

The Indians worked their way inside the Northwestern 30 with two seconds to play. As time expired, Reus’s 42-yard field goal flew through the uprights to tie the game at 42-42 and push the teams into bonus time.

Venice won the toss, forced a Northwestern turnover and won on the Jones TD.

KEY STATS: With Nixon (8-of-15, 131 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) and the pass game struggling for a lot of the night, Venice needed to rely on its run game.

The Indians pounded the heck out of the rock, racking up 419 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 55 carries.

Wilder was the player of the game for the Indians with his gutsy performance. He had 314 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 37 carries in the victory.

Watkins Jr. didn’t have his best night (four catches, 38 yards, 1 TD), but he did add 45 yards and a TD on the ground, which further proves his versatility.

For the Bulls, Strawder threw for nearly 400 yards and four touchdowns, with his favorite target being Russell Jr. (five catches, 150 yards, 3 TDs).

KEY PLAYS: No sequence was more important than what transpired during the final drive of regulation for the Indians.

Venice converted on fourth down twice, and both times Wilder delivered.

The first instance was on a fourth-and-five at the Venice 25, when Wilder jumped up and caught a swing pass from Nixon. The catch was good for seven yards and a first down with 1:42 to play.

Later, on a fourth-and-three at the Northwestern 37, Wilder took a handoff and forced his way through the Bulls defensive line for a four-yard gain and a first down with less than a minute to go.

Two plays later, Reus’s kick was sailing through the uprights to force OT.

QUICK HITS: The Venice and Northwestern series has been electric in recent years.

In 2022, Northwestern beat Venice, 32-26, at Powell-Davis Stadium before the Indians returned the favor in a 63-46 shootout win down in Miami last season.

Venice won the rubber match in a thriller on Friday, and it will be interesting to see if the two teams continue to schedule each other in the coming seasons.

It’s not hard to imagine a bit of a rivalry brewing with what has transpired the last few years.

QUOTE: “They are really well-coached, and they play with discipline. Obviously, Bridgewater is doing a really great job, already, and they’re going to make some noise in their class. I don’t know if you can call it a rivalry, but it was definitely two of the top teams in the state. This matchup was supposed be one of the top games in the country, and it sure did turn out to be.” — Venice head coach John Peacock.