By Sophie Johnson, Social Media Editor
Seven. That is how many times head football coach Jim Prince has taken home the Marlin at the annual showdown against Manteo. After 11 years of coaching at First Flight, he hopes to write another year on the notorious Marlin Bowl trophy.
The Nighthawks have defeated Manteo for five years in a row, bringing the series record to 7-7 after Manteo dominated early with four straight wins. To the seniors, beating their rivals for this long is a feeling that they’ll miss as they compete in their last Marlin Bowl.
“I’m definitely sad about it because it’ll be our last time playing our rivals since Parks and Rec,” senior Parker Sylvia said. “But I’m excited because I know with this team we’re gonna keep the streak up.”
While the Nighthawks’ winning streak is on the line, that’s not what matters to Prince when the rivals clash Thursday at 7:30 in Manteo.
“I think the big thing is, what we gotta do is instead of worrying about the streak, we’re just worried about playing up to what we have the capabilities of doing. If we can do that, then we can keep the streak going because we’re a pretty good football team,” he said.
The Nighthawks lost a few key starters, but have gained new players who have stepped up. The team is 1-1 after opening on the road with a loss at Edenton and bouncing back for a home win against Arcadia last Friday.
“People have come out and filled the spots that needed to be filled,” said Sylvia, who along with fellow running back Noah Nurney accounted for three touchdowns last week. “They definitely stepped up to do what we needed and they are not letting us down and we need them.”
For seniors like Sylvia and Nurney, this will be their last Marlin Bowl after playing in it for the past three years. It’s a little bit of a different story for senior Timothy Jones. He had been part of the Marlin Bowl as a member of the band the past three years. This year, he will be on the field as a football player.
“I just had the desire and it was my last year so why not do it?” Jones said. “I’m really excited for it.”
Much of the OBX community is pumped for this game, one of the biggest of the season pitting neighbors against each other. Because of the significance of the contest, the key to winning is not all about strategy or game plans.
“Not letting all the hype and hot-headnesses get to us, just to stay level-headed will help us win because we’re better in skill, strength and speed,” Sylvia said. “So we can’t let them get to our heads.”
Manteo comes in at 1-1 after falling to Currituck in its opener and beating Columbia 58-27 last week.
“We battle each other,” Manteo head coach Sport Sawyer said, “but then at the same time I hope each team does well in the regular season and playoffs. That’s what it’s about.”
Senior Sophie Johnson can be reached at johnsonso0628@daretolearn.org.
