Talawanda spoils homecoming for Northwest

CINCINNATI, OH – Talawanda spoiled Northwest’s homecoming and handed the Knights their first loss of the season with a 35-26 road victory.

The Braves matched Northwest’s physical style and used a balanced offensive attack to take control. Ethan Hainline (#20) led the way with three touchdowns, scoring Talawanda’s first, third and fourth TDs of the night. Brody Abney added two touchdowns, including the Braves’ final score, as Talawanda consistently found answers against the Northwest defense. Quarterback Jake Van Gorden complemented the ground game and helped the Braves keep the Knights off balance.

Northwest stayed within striking distance behind Jaylen Lilly and Ethan Dixon. Lilly scored the Knights’ opening touchdown, while Dixon added another in the second quarter as the teams traded scores during the first half.

🎧 LISTEN: Postgame Interview with Talawanda Head Coach Andy Stuckert
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Talawanda began to take command after halftime. The Braves opened the second half with a lengthy 6:32 scoring drive, capped by Hainline’s third touchdown of the night. Talawanda added two more scores before it was over, with Hainline scoring his third and Abney adding his second, to build enough separation to withstand Northwest’s late push.

The Knights continued fighting and scored twice through the air from Lilly in the closing minutes, but the deficit proved too large to overcome.

Talawanda bounced back from its first loss of the season by handing a ranked, previously unbeaten Northwest squad its first defeat. The Braves continue their playoff push next week against Harrison, while Northwest begins a three-game road stretch at Dayton Dunbar.

POSTGAME INTERVIEW