Homecoming wasn’t a very happy one for the members of the Mathews High School varsity football team, as the Blue Devils were shut out by the visiting Nandua Warriors, 42-0.

The loss drops the MHS record to 1-8 overall, with the Devils’ season finale to be held tonight at Middlesex High School. Nandua, meanwhile, improved to 7-2.

The Warriors put together a 72-yard drive for the team’s first score, culminating in a 17-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Smith. A couple of plays after that, a Mathews fumble gave Nandua the ball in Devil territory, with Smith capping off that drive as well with a touchdown reception of 20 yards. Nandua scored once more to take a 21-0 lead into halftime.

The Devils, meanwhile, proved to be their own worst enemy. MHS players coughed up the ball several times, once on the play immediately after a big pass play from Ryan Ewell to Deondre Foster.

The play that really took the wind out of the Devils’ sails was the second-half kic...