By Gray Haynes

The North Webster Knights welcomed the Homer Pelicans to Baucum-Farrar Stadium for the 2025 Homecoming Game.  Homer won the coin toss and elected to defer their option to the 2nd half.  The Knights took the opening kickoff and marched the ball right down the field.  The Knights converted several key third downs on the drive, but came away with no points due to a fumble at the Pelicans’ five yard line.  The Knights’ defense were, however, stingy as usual and forced the visitors to punt from their own end zone.  The Knights took over at the Homer 40 yard line, and their ground attack took them down to the Homer 14.  From there, quarterback, Justin Stewart, bounced a pass off of a defender’s hands right into the waiting arms of Jameson Harden for the first score of the night.  The extra point by Christian Whitlock was true to make the score 7-0 Knights.

North Webster kicked off to Homer and allowed one first down before forcing the Pelicans to punt to the 25 yard line.  The Knights picked up some yards on the ground before unleashing the air attack again.  A 50 yard pass from Stewart to Ja’Kayden Jackson took the ball down the Homer 8.  From there, Jackson let his brother take over to score on the second of two runs.  Whitlock’s extra point was again good to make the score 14-0.  Homer took the kickoff and drove down to the Knights’ ten yard line before failing to convert on a 4th down and 1.  The Knights ran out the clock content with a 14-0 halftime lead.

Homer received the opening kickoff of the second half and moved the ball a bit before failing to convert on a 4th down and 8 from the North Webster 45.  However, the Knights could not take advantage and were forced to punt.  Homer, then, gave the ball right back to the Knights on a fumble deep in their own territory.  Stewart completed a 13 yard pass to Hayden Nance who just managed to drag his toes in bounds before falling over the sideline.  This pitch and catch set up a 21 yard field goal by Whitlock to make the score 17-0.

The Knights, again, kicked off to Homer.  The Pelicans, again, began marching down the field, but the bend but don’t break Knights’ defense forced a fumble on the North Webster 45 yard line.  On the first play after the fumble, Stewart, once again, connected with Jackson for a 53 yard catch and run for a touchdown.  That made the score 24-0 in favor of the home team.  The next Homer position was stopped by an interception by Chandler McKenzie on the Knights’ 20 yard line.  North Webster moved down the field on the ground but was once again bitten by the fumble bug.  The Knights turned the ball over to Homer on the 7 yard line.

Homer was able to move the ball out of the shadow of their own goalpost until Donte Owens found a Homer pass and intercepted it at the 48 yard line and returned it for a 52 yard pick six.  Whitlock’s kick made the score 31-0 with about 2:30 left in the game.  Stewart finished the game with 6 completions on 9 attempts for 149 yards and 2 touchdowns.  Ja’Kayden Jackson had two receptions for 102 yards and one touchdown.  His brother, Ja’Myrion Jackson, had 10 carries for 48 yards and one touchdown.  Braylon Washington was the workhorse for the Knights on this night with 18 carries for 119 yards.  The Knights are now 3-1 on the season and host Garrison, Texas next Friday night at Baucum-Farrar Stadium.