Vikings Clinch MOAC Red With Win Over Barons

[clecinosu]

Marion River Valley 45, Delaware Buckeye Valley 12

DELAWARE -- The River Valley Vikings used plenty of big plays, forced six Buckeye Valley turnovers, and scored after five of those Baron miscues, closing with a overwhelming 45-12 victory in Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference Red Division action Friday at Buckeye Valley High School.

The win gives River Valley (6-2, 6-1) the outright Red Division title. The Vikings now hold a three-game lead over Buckeye Valley (3-5, 3-4) with just two weeks left in the season.

But the offensive explosion started slowly. River Valley gained just 32 yards on nine plays in their first two drives of the game, but took the momentum away from the Barons on their first play Buckeye Valley's second drive. Baron tailback Colt Brownstead fumbled the handoff from quarterback Tony Cain, making his first start of the season under center, and the Vikings' Tyler Fletcher recovered at the Baron 17-yard line.

Four plays later, Viking quarterback Josh Call found tight end Owen Case in the end zone from four yards out for the first of seven River Valley touchdowns.

Buckeye Valley threatened to get the score back when Brownstead returned the ensuing kickoff 33 yards to the Viking 46, but seven plays later, the drive stalled when Cain was stopped for no gain on a fourth down-and-four rush. River Valley then move smartly downfield, thanks to a Baron pass interference call and two big plays, and scored on the first play of the second quarter then Call carried over from three yards out.

River Valley didn't let up, though, as linebacker Jeff George intercepted Cain on the first play of the next Buckeye Valley drive, setting up the Vikings at the Baron 35. An illegal procedure penalty pushed the ball back five yards, but the Vikings didn't care as Call pitched to receiver Cole Tomlin, who then threw a perfect strike to Case for another touchdown.

Brownstead again gave the Barons good field position on the next kickoff, returning the ball 36 yards to the Viking 47, but the offense again could do nothing with it, despite running a 15-play drive. Buckeye Valley ran for a first down to the Viking 17, but were short-circuited by an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that pushed them back to the 28.

The Barons would later move the ball to the 14, but a errant pitch by Cain and recovery by Brownstead put the ball at the 30, and Cain was again picked off on the next play, this time by Call, who returned the ball to the 18. The Vikings would add yet another touchdown before the half on a big play -- and set up by another big play.

With third down and four and their own 24, Call found running back Bryceson Lawrence on a 43-yard pass play to the Baron 33. Lawrence then sprinted through the Baron defense on the very next play for the touchdown, putting River Valley up by 26.

Cain was intercepted again before the end of the half, this time by Tomlin, but Buckeye Valley managed to get some momentum back. With the ball at their own 10, Call tried to pass to the right side, but Brownstead intercepted at the Viking 31 and returned it for the first Baron touchdown.

Buckeye Valley tried to carry that momentum to another score. The Barons held the ball for nearly 10 of the 12 minutes of the third quarter and drove all the way to the River Valley 18-yard line on their first drive of the second half, but Jeremy Tiller's 36-yard field goal attempt sailed wide to the left.

River Valley's first drive went three-and-out, but their next drive again found paydirt. After taking over at their own 21 with 50 seconds to play in the third quarter, the Vikings would score two plays into the fourth on yet another big play, this one a 65-yard pass play from Call to Lowe.

River Valley got yet another break on the kickoff, as the Barons' Bryce Hughes could not handle the squib kick from Alex Masters and Lowe recovered the football at the Buckeye Valley 11. Call again found Tomlin in the end zone on the next play, putting River Valley ahead 39-6.

Another Cain interception, this time by reserve defensive back Scott Keiser, set up the Vikings in Baron territory again shortly after, and the Vikings sent in their offensive subs. It didn't help the Barons, though, as reserve quarterback Ryan Feaver threw a perfect pass to jayvee receiver Mitch Hissong in the right corner of the end zone for a 26-yard touchdown pass.

Buckeye Valley's penultimate drive finally resulted in points against the Viking second-teamers. Buckeye Valley drove 60 yards on eight plays, capping it with a Kyle Rehner 14-yard touchdown run for the final points of the game.

Buckeye Valley had more yardage on the ground than River Valley, but the Vikings held a 383-230 edge in total offense thanks to a 241-44 edge in passing yardage. Call completed just 8-of-13 passes, but threw for 175 yards and three touchdowns. Tomlin and Feaver's touchdown passes were their only attempts of the game. Lawrence led all rushers with 94 yards on 15 carries, while Lowe topped all receivers with three catches for 105 yards.

Ryan Smart led the Baron runners with 69 yards on 12 carries while Brownstead and Rehner gained 50 yards each, Brownstead on 12 carries and Rehner on 13. Cain completed just 3-of-11 passes for 44 yards, but was intercepted four times. Steve Morden had two of the three Buckeye Valley receptions for 36 yards.

Both teams return to MOAC action Friday, with River Valley visiting Northmor and Buckeye Valley traveling to Cardington. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. at both sites.

River Valley............7...19.....0...19..........45
Buckeye Valley........0.....6.....0.....6..........12

SCORING SUMMARY
FIRST QUARTER
RV - Owen Case 4 pass from Josh Call (Tyler Fletcher kick), 4:34. (4 plays, 17 yards, TOP 1:39)
SECOND QUARTER
RV - Josh Call 3 run (kick failed), 11:54. (5 plays, 64 yards, TOP 1:11)
RV - Owen Case 40 pass from Cole Tomlin (kick failed), 11:25. (1 play, 35 yards, TOP 0:10)
RV - Bryceson Lawrence 33 run (Tyler Fletcher kick), 2:10. (4 plays, 82 yards, TOP 1:37)
BV - Colt Brownstead 31 interception return (kick blocked), :28.
FOURTH QUARTER
RV - Tyler Lowe 65 pass from Josh Call (Tyler Fletcher kick), 11:10. (4 plays, 79 yards, TOP 1:42)
RV - Cole Tomlin 11 pass from Josh Call (kick failed), 11:05. (1 play, 11 yards, TOP 0:03)
RV - Mitch Hissong 26 pass from Ryan Feaver (kick failed), 7:45. (4 plays, 21 yards, TOP 2:18)
BV - Kyle Rehner 14 run (kick blocked), 4:58. (8 plays, 60 yards, TOP 2:47)

STATISTICS...................RV............BV
First Downs.....................15............18
Rushes-Yards............30-142.....55-186
Passing Yards.................241...........44
Comp-Att-Int............10-15-2......3-11-4
Total Offense.................383..........230
Punts-Avg..................2-31.5......1-27.0
Fumbles-Lost..................2-1..........7-2
Penalties-Yards...........10-87.........3-35
Possession Time.........18:49........29:11

RUSHING: River Valley - Bryceson Lawrence 15-94, Ryan Feaver 3-20, Arlo Sterling 3-15, Kurt Little 3-13, Aarron Blackledge 3-9, Team 1-(minus-2); Josh Call 2-(minus-7); Buckeye Valley - Ryan Smart 12-69, Colt Brownstead 12-50, Kyle Rehner 13-50, Chris Hughes 6-18, Bryce Hughes 2-5, Adam Hall 1-1, Spencer Baker 1-0, Tony Cain 8-(minus-7).

PASSING: River Valley - Josh Call 8-13-2-175, Cole Tomlin 1-1-0-40, Ryan Feaver 1-1-0-26; Buckeye Valley - Tony Cain 3-11-4-44.

RECEIVING: River Valley - Tyler Lowe 3-105, Owen Case 2-44, Bryceson Lawrence 1-43, Mitch Hissong 1-26, Cole Tomlin 1-11, Jason McCarty 1-8, Aarron Blackledge 1-4; Buckeye Valley - Steve Morden 2-36, Colt Brownstead 1-8.

INTERCEPTIONS: River Valley - Scott Keiser 1-33, Jeff George 1-3, Cole Tomlin 1-2, Josh Call 1-5; Buckeye Valley - Colt Brownstead 1-31, Tony Cain 1-0.