Northshore blanks Dutchtown, 13-0

The 2021 season was a breakthrough season for Northshore High School under first-year head football coach Bobby Sanders. The Panthers reached the 5A playoffs and narrowly missed upsetting West Monroe.

That momentum built is clearly carrying over.

While the Northshore offense was potent a year ago, the defense was dominant Friday night as the Panthers shut out Dutchtown 13-0 at Geismar.

Northshore forced three turnovers, including an interception by TJ Coleman with two minutes remaining to clinch the big road win.

The Panthers got the only points needed late in the first quarter on a 40-yard touchdown pass from Donovan Weilbacher to Coleman to take a 7-0 lead.

Late in the third quarter, two-sport star Kohen Rowbatham scored on a nine-yard touchdown run to complete the scoring. Rowbatham also had an interception on defense.

On the Three Tailgaters Show on 106.1 FM NASH ICON Saturday morning, Sanders talked about the significance of the victory.

“Seeing an opponent like Dutchtown week one provided extra motivation. I think I have a really good staff, including my defensive coordinator Austin Bellamy, who came from Catholic High. The scheme he has put in has them playing faster. Defensive line coach Earl Johnson is doing a really good.”

The Panthers have overcome adversity to get to this stage.

“In our scrimmage, we lost quarterback Jack Buell, who broke his collarbone and we had to adjust,” Sanders said. “Donovan is going to be a good quarterback. He has stepped in and done a nice job.”

To build a winner, you have to build from the ground up.

“It’s kind of little things that you need to pay attention to with regard to improvement,” Sanders said. “It’s how you do everything, including to the locker room, daily routines. It seemed like we lost every close game last year. The big thing was trying to find a way to finish games and to start to turn the table in close games.”

Northshore hosts Salmen next Friday night in an inner-city battle of Slidell. The Spartans downed Booker T. Washington 21-20.

“Salmen opened my eyes when they beat Covington in the jamboree and then beat a very good Booker T. Washington team to start the season,” Sanders said. “We expect it to be a heck of a game.”