SAND ROCK — Fall was in the air here Friday night. The way safety Zakery Walsh played, it’s a wonder he didn’t find a way to intercept it.

The Bison defensive back prowled the secondary, intercepting three Sand Rock passes. He also opened the scoring with a 30-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter, as the Bison (4-1, 4-1) spoiled homecoming for Russell Jacoway’s Wildcats, 28-7.

After North Sand Mountain jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the second quarter, Jacoway sensed trouble for his team.

“We’re not a come-from-behind football team right now, we’re just not generating a lot of offense,” Jacoway said after his career coaching record dropped to 207-115. “If we hadn’t had a few mistakes early on, we had a chance to be in it with them. But when they got on us a little bit, it put us in a bind.”

The education of young Sand Rock quarterback Dylan Mackey continued. The sophomore in his first season as a starter was 2-of-14 for 11 yards. Bison signal caller Tyler Vann, on the other hand, had a stellar night, completing 17-of-28 for 240 yards and a pair of scores. He also tossed a two-point conversion pass in the second quarter.

Jacoway said he watched enough film of this week’s opponent to know his team would be in for a fight.

“They’ve got a good football team and I knew they were going to throw it all over the field,” he said. “That quarterback they’ve got can beat you just by throwing the football.”

After swapping punts to begin the game, North Sand Mountain got the first break of the night when Sand Rock fumbled on a punt return after holding the Bison deep in their own territory. Minutes later, Vann found Walsh across the middle for the touchdown. Sand Rock blocked the extra point try, giving NSM a 6-0 lead with seconds remaining in the first quarter.

Walsh ended the next Sand Rock drive on its third play with his first interception. But the Wildcat defense held, forcing another punt. Two plays later, however, Walsh read Mackey’s eyes on a long pass down the sideline and made his second interception.

Set up at the Wildcat 30-yard line, the Bison offense quickly found the end zone.

On fourth down and 20 Vann scrambled towards the sideline then tossed another long pass across the middle to running back Max Kirby. Vann’s conversion pass brought the score to 14-0 with 6:37 remaining in the half.

After holding Sand Rock again, NSM drove the ball from midfield for its third score of the night with just under three minutes to play before halftime. Kirby completed the drive on a 14-yard wraparound draw to advance the score to 21-0.

It was late in the third before Sand Rock finally found the end zone. After a 32-yard gain by Dustin Chambers, NSM was flagged for a personal foul which moved the ball to the Bison 33-yard line. Two plays later, senior halfback Chad Thompson bolted down the right sideline from 29 yards out. Mackey’s PAT closed the score to 21-7.

Kirby closed out the scoring with his third TD of the night with 7:45 remaining. His 9-yard run brought the final score to 28-7.

The Wildcats (2-3, 2-2) travel to Victory Christian Friday night. Jacoway said his season-long search for on-the-field leadership will continue as his team works through the remainder of the 2011 schedule.

“There was a little bit more leadership this week, but we still don’t really have that vocal person, or two, who is going to stand up and take charge,” Jacoway said. “We have to get 11 players going the same direction at the same time.”