Sallisaw Scores 22 Straight to Defeat Southside, 39-28
Game Recap
Sallisaw erased an early 14-7 deficit with 22 unanswered points and defeated Fort Smith Southside 39-28 at home Friday night.
Southside struck on its first snap when quarterback Michael Nolewajka kept the ball for a 38-yard touchdown. Brodi Nickell answered immediately with a 63-yard touchdown run, but Nolewajka’s 17-yard pass to Sebastian Luht put the Mavericks ahead 14-7 with 6:04 left in the first quarter.
The game changed after Sallisaw intercepted Nolewajka late in the quarter and returned the ball to the Southside 31. Kase Adams finished the four-play possession with a 6-yard run, tying the score at 14 with 11:26 left in the half. Sallisaw then blocked a punt through the end zone for a safety. Adams followed with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Nickell, and Luke Bob Warner scored on a 70-yard flea-flicker reception. The conversion pass failed, leaving Sallisaw ahead 29-14 at halftime. Southside’s Dallas DeLassus missed a 26-yard field-goal attempt on the half’s final play.
Adams added a 7-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, completing a seven-play, 60-yard drive. Southside answered despite having a Luht touchdown erased by a penalty and then drawing two additional flags on consecutive snaps. On third-and-32, Nolewajka threw a screen to Colton Viengthong, who went 32 yards for the score and cut the deficit to 36-21.
Zeke Thomas forced an Adams fumble inside Southside’s 5 early in the fourth, but Sallisaw intercepted the Mavericks on the next possession and converted a field goal for a 39-21 lead. Nolewajka later completed a fourth-and-13 pass to Viengthong, hit him again to the Sallisaw 15, then found Luht for a touchdown. DeLassus’ fourth extra point made it 39-28. Sallisaw recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock. The victory moved Sallisaw to 2-0; Southside scored 14 of the night’s final 17 points.
Scoring Summary
| Quarter | Time | Scoring play | Running score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10:04 | Southside — Michael Nolewajka 38-yard run; Dallas DeLassus kick | Southside 7-0 |
| 1 | — | Sallisaw — Brodi Nickell 63-yard run; kick good | 7-7 |
| 1 | 6:04 | Southside — Nolewajka 17-yard pass to Sebastian Luht; DeLassus kick | Southside 14-7 |
| 2 | 11:26 | Sallisaw — Kase Adams 6-yard run; Morales kick | 14-14 |
| 2 | — | Sallisaw — blocked punt through end zone for safety | Sallisaw 16-14 |
| 2 | — | Sallisaw — Adams 5-yard pass to Nickell; kick good | Sallisaw 23-14 |
| 2 | — | Sallisaw — Luke Bob Warner 70-yard flea-flicker reception; conversion pass failed | Sallisaw 29-14 |
| 3 | — | Sallisaw — Adams 7-yard run; kick good | Sallisaw 36-14 |
| 3 | — | Southside — Nolewajka 32-yard screen to Colton Viengthong on third-and-32; kick good | Sallisaw 36-21 |
| 4 | — | Sallisaw — field goal; kicker and distance not stated | Sallisaw 39-21 |
| 4 | — | Southside — Nolewajka pass to Luht; DeLassus kick | Final: Sallisaw 39-28 |
Players of the Game
- Kase Adams, Sallisaw quarterback: Scored on runs of 6 and 7 yards and threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Nickell. His third-quarter rushing touchdown completed a seven-play, 60-yard drive.
- Brodi Nickell, Sallisaw wide receiver/safety: Scored twice—on a 63-yard run and a 5-yard reception. His third-and-9 wheel-route catch reached the Southside 16 and helped set up Adams’ third-quarter touchdown.
- Michael Nolewajka, Southside quarterback: Accounted for all four Southside touchdowns. He scored on a 38-yard run and threw three touchdown passes: 17 yards to Luht, 32 yards to Viengthong and a late score to Luht.
- Sebastian Luht, Southside receiver: Caught two touchdown passes, including a 17-yarder, and recovered two Southside fumbles during the first half to preserve possessions.
- Luke Bob Warner, Sallisaw tight end/defensive end: Scored on a 70-yard flea-flicker reception that extended Sallisaw’s lead from 23-14 to 29-14 before halftime.