McIntosh bested by Northgate

Homecoming loss to the Vikings 35-14

Connor Lafontant, Sports Editor

Sep 30, 2025

Senior Elijah Strader running for a touchdown attempt in the first half of the game.

On Friday, Sept. 26, the Northgate Vikings continued their winning streak, further increasing their victories this season to five in a row and their overall record to 6-0 with a 35-14 win over the McIntosh Chiefs. The victory marks the Vikings’ third contest this season won by a margin of 21 points or more. For McIntosh, the Homecoming loss marks their second straight and drops their season record to 2-4.

The McIntosh quarterback Elijah Strader put up big numbers, rushing for 30 yards and a touchdown while also throwing for 81 yards and another touchdown. Freshman Chris Halbert highlighted teammate Julian Love’s effort. “He’s working. Something we can do better the next half, wrap up and tackle,” Halbert said.

McIntosh alumnus and former football player Maddox Dykeman shared confidence in the program’s direction despite the loss.

Maurice Swoope (11) a Defensive End celebrating a tackle. (Gabriel Adams )

“I think we’re going to make a good run this year. I think Coach [Derek] Smith knows what he’s doing. He’s got a great system here. Coach [Jonathan] Black’s got a great defense. I think we got a good shot through. Looking good [so far],” Dykeman said.

The Vikings, who are now 6-0, increased their road winning streak to five games. Sophomore running back Woody Schettini delivered a career-best performance, rushing for 278 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 9.3 yards per carry. Xavier King added 47 receiving yards and two scores, and the team piled up 324 rushing yards overall, their highest total of the season. Northgate’s defense also proved troublesome, recording 3.5 sacks, including two from Mason Waters, and 11 tackles from Brysen Davies.

The game also was a celebration of school spirit, with the Homecoming court announced during halftime. Elijah Caldwell and Brooklinn Turner were named freshman lord and lady. The sophomore duke and duchess were Saket Sonone and Danika Simpson. Gio Okoronkwo and Remi Marler were crowned prince and princess, while Tristan Campbell and Ellie Bednarowski took the titles of Homecoming King and Homecoming Queen.

The Chiefs will play at Lovejoy High School next week on Friday, Sept. 19, at 7:30 P.M.

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About the Contributors

Connor Lafontant, Sports Editor

Connor Lafontant is a Junior at McIntosh, in his third year on the Trail staff, which earned a Distinguished Site Badge for the second consecutive time. He covers sports and international stories. A multi-sport athlete, Connor runs track, wrestles, and played soccer in Peachtree City. He also played trombone for three years and is on the honor roll. Outside school, he’s a student pilot at Horizon Aviation, aiming for a career in airlines. Connor volunteers at homeless shelters, providing over 14,000 pounds of food and essentials, and helped distribute COVID vaccines to over 1,000 people. He enjoys traveling and working out, but values helping others most.

Samuel Umoh, Staff

Samuel Umoh is a senior at Mcintosh High School. This is his first year on the trail staff. Samuel is also a basketball player for McIntosh. Samuel likes to cook, bake and watch sports during his free time. His favorite teams are the Boston Celtics and the LA Lakers and some of his favorite players are Paul George, Kobe Brian, Lebron James, Payton Pritchard and Michel Jordan.

Gabriel Adams, Staff

Gabriel Adams is a Junior at Mcintosh and a new addition to The Trail’s staff. Adams competed in The Law’s Of Life event and he has future plans to achieve the world title in the UFC (Ultimate Fighter Championship). Until then he practices Muay Thai, reads, mountain bikes and hangs out with friends. His approach to Journalism is both insightful and straightforward. His desire is to keep informed of the events that impact our way of life. He was one of the staff members who won a best of SNO.