The Hornets closed their opening set of regular-season fixtures with a 19-9 win over the Lowers on Friday night at home. The result extends their perfect start, coming after they beat the Beavers 36-30 two weeks ago. The Lowers, meanwhile, dropped their opener 20-21 to the Wildcats and could not find a way back into this one.
And here's the thing about this game — it was never going to be a shootout. The Hornets controlled the tempo from the opening drive, and the Lowers never really got going in response. By then, the 10-point margin felt about right given how the sides played.
The Hornets kept their side in it when it mattered, converting when they had the ball. The Lowers turned to the kids in the second half, but the deficit was too deep. This is the kind of game where you either force mistakes or you don't — and tonight the visitors did neither.
Looking at the record, the Hornets are unbeaten in three now. The Lowers have lost both of their outings so far, and the gap between them is widening. Three points separate the top two sides in the division, and on this showing the Hornets will make life awkward for everyone else.
What this means for the table is simple. The Hornets sit top with three wins from three, while the Lowers are down at the bottom with two defeats. The next round will tell us whether this was a blip for the visitors or something more serious.