Team of the Week: West Columbus earns emotional first win of season

COLUMBUS COUNTY, N.C. (WWAY) — West Columbus football picked up its first win of the season Friday night, but for the Vikings, the 36-16 victory over West Bladen meant much more than a mark in the win column.

West Columbus took the field playing in honor of former coach Brandon Smith, giving the Vikings added motivation as they looked to turn their season around.

The Vikings found success on both sides of the ball. Head coach LaMonte Williamson said the performance reminded him of the team’s historic 2023 run.

“Watching those guys play, man, it gives me chills sometimes. Just to be able to see them perform the way they performed, seeing that lets me know, hey, we could be back.”

The offense also delivered a milestone moment for sophomore running back Ouziyiah Reaves, who found the end zone for his first touchdown as a Viking.

“It felt great. I just saw the hole, something we’ve been working on. I told my guys, we block, we gonna get the job done. They blocked, I seen the open space and I took off. That’s what we came for. We score, we win. I’m pretty sure we gonna win more games,” Reaves said.

Senior quarterback DJ Graham said the win has the team excited about what could be ahead as conference play approaches.

“I’m excited for the rest of the season, and me and my guys are ready for conference play to start. And my guy got his first touchdown. I told him when we got on the sideline, welcome to being a Viking,” Graham said.

But the biggest meaning behind the victory came from who the Vikings were playing for.

“Just knowing that the rest of the season is for him, I think that’s going to lead us in the right direction,” Graham said of Smith.

Williamson said the night was another reminder that football can mean more than what happens on the field.

“Playing for him, the guys knew what it was about. They just wanted to get that win on Friday night. Sometimes we talk about it’s bigger than football, and that moment Friday shows it was bigger than football. You know, for his family to come out and for us to get that win, it kind of put a spark in the family dealing with that situation, and they were able to see us come out and get that victory. I think it was good for us and good for them.”

With its first win secured, West Columbus now has some momentum to build on through the rest of the season. The Vikings have a bye in Week 4 before returning the following week for a matchup against East Bladen.