NILES — High school homecoming football games, for a lot of people, can signify a return. For Niles senior Nate Goins, Fridays homecoming game marked the first victory on a path of his own return.

Goins, a running back and wide receiver, had a kickoff 82 yards in the second quarter for a touchdown and a 67-yard run in the fourth quarter to seal a Vikings 28-7 victory over Mattawan Friday night.

For Goins, this is his first season back on the football field, after having not played on the football team his sophomore and junior year.

“Senior year, I thought I would come out here, work hard and show the coaches what I got to see if they would let me on the team,” Goins said.

Despite Goins’ hiatus, the team welcomed him with open arms and have embraced his strong running and catching game within their offense.

“I get along with everybody great,” Goins said. “Everybody loves me, and I love them. They are my brothers.”

Head coach Joe Sassano agreed Goins had a breakout game on the field against Mattawan.

“He’s persevered. He’s hung in there,” Sassano. said. “He’s waited his turn. His teammates around him are great support. When he got on the field, he made some plays and made some stuff happen for us.”

Offensively, the Vikings dominated the Wildcats in the first quarter, getting on the board first from a one-yard touchdown from senior Javond Ball. In the second quarter, the Wildcats’ offense struck back after wide receiver John Herman caught a 78-yard pass in the end zone from Jalen Jones, giving Mattawan its only score of the night.

The tie would not last long as Goins returned the ensuing kickoff to a touchdown.

“I was just like, ‘I got to get in the end zone for my teammates,’” Goins said. “I have to score. I got to get us up. I have to get us on the board.”

In the third quarter, Ball added a one-yard touchdown, giving Niles a more comfortable lead.

“We took care of the ball, for the most part, tonight,” Sassano said. “First game all year we didn’t have to punt, which tells me our offense was very efficient.”