Nansemond River High School hit the road on Friday night for the first time this season and got itself into a back and forth struggle with Great Bridge High School.

“They answered all of our rallies,” Warriors head coach Tracey Parker said.

Looking to land the final blow, Nansemond River was driving in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, but junior quarterback Jermaal Wells fumbled after the Warriors crossed the 50-yard line.

Parker said Great Bridge “converted a first down and that was all they needed.”

But he praised his team’s effort, saying the “kids played hard, we just made a few mistakes that cost us.”

The Warriors came into the game knowing they had cut the turnovers down, but they still had three.

Nansemond River scored first off a 37-yard field goal from junior kicker Kameron Burnor. The Wildcats responded with a rushing touchdown.

Then sophomore wide receiver Joshua Covington caught about a 20-yard touchdown pass from Wells to make it 10-7. The Wildcat still got in a touchdown to hold the lead at the half, 14-10.

In the third quarter, senior running back/linebacker Latrell “Vegas” Sandifer gave Nansemond River a lift with a 2-yard touchdown run followed by an interception return of about 40 yards for a score, giving the Warriors a 24-14 advantage.

But the Wildcats were able to come back once more with 13 unanswered points.

With a core of experienced seniors this year, Parker admitted he is surprised by his team’s 0-3 start. Nevertheless, he said they must press on and continue to work hard.

Nansemond River (0-3, 0-2) visits Indian River High School next Friday night.