North Pontotoc Rallies Past New Albany in Region 1-4A Opener

ECRU – In a clash of unbeaten teams and the Region 1-4A opener, North Pontotoc rallied from a two-score halftime deficit to stun New Albany, 26-22, on Friday night.

The Bulldogs (4-2, 0-1) appeared in control early, jumping out to an 11-0 halftime lead behind a bruising ground attack and timely defense. Braden Shettles opened the scoring with a 4-yard touchdown run and two-point conversion in the first quarter. Grayson Alexander added a 32-yard field goal midway through the second period, and New Albany’s defense forced a critical fumble at the goal line to preserve the shutout heading into the break.

But the second half belonged to North Pontotoc senior quarterback Drew Winfun. The four-year starter put the Vikings (5-0, 1-0) on his back, accounting for all four of their touchdowns after halftime. He started the rally with an 8-yard rushing score to trim the deficit to 11-6. After Shettles answered with a 15-yard TD run to make it 19-6, Winfun immediately countered with an 84-yard strike to receiver Dee Slaughter, pulling the Vikings back within one score.

The two connected again late in the third quarter, this time on a 23-yard touchdown to tie the game at 19-19. New Albany briefly regained the lead on Alexander’s 35-yard field goal with just under six minutes remaining, but Winfun wasn’t done. He engineered the game-winning 80-yard drive, capping it with a 26-yard swing pass to Aden Harden with 2:56 left on the clock.

New Albany still had a chance. The Bulldogs marched to the Viking 15 in the final minute, but on fourth down, freshman defensive lineman Carlos Zuniga broke through for a sack of Shettles with 24 seconds left, sealing the victory. It was the Vikings’ fourth sack of the night.

Winfun finished the game with three touchdown passes and one rushing score, surpassing the 1,000-yard passing mark on the season. The victory marked North Pontotoc’s first 5-0 start since 2018, when the Vikings finished 11-2.