Valley View Advances To Regional Semi-Finals
Bellbrook, OH (October 31, 2003) The names were the same, but it was an entirely different team. The underrated Spartan defense forced four Bellbrook turnovers, deflating Bellbrook's hopes of a week 9 repeat, and leading Valley View to a 35-21 win. The win advances Valley View to the Regional Semi-final against Wyoming (10-1).
The scoring was set up with a Brad Abner interception during Bellbrook's first possession and capped off by an eight-yard run by Nick Alldred to give the Spartans first-blood and a huge momentum. Momentum that they never lost. The Spartan defense dominated the Eagles the entire first half, allowing only 13 rushing yards. Nathan Yahle, who owned Valley View just two weeks before, was held to just 11 yards in the first two quarters. He finished the game with 92-yards rushing.
The 5000 fans never had a chance to think about Bellbrook's junior running back however. This time around it was the Buehner-Bolen show. Brock Bolen led the Spartan assault with 164 yards on 25 carries, followed by QB Teddy Buehner's 131 yards on the ground. Buehner's longest run came on a 62-yard gainer that put the Spartans up 14-7. Buehner also threw for 56 yards.
But it was execution on both sides of the ball that got the Spartans to Round II. Big plays by Alldred, Lucas Kramer, and Ryan Clark kept drives alive, negating the second and 32's and first and 25's that plagued Valley View in Week 9. The Spartans only real miscue came with 2:23 remaining in the first half with the ball on the one-yard line.
The Spartans might have been able to put the game away right there had they been able to score and take a 21-7 lead into the lockerroom at the half. They kept missing it on three tries, giving Bellbrook some much needed motivation when the second half opened.
Motivation might be too strong. The fact remains, Bellbrook wouldn't quit and took the second half kickoff downfield capping off an Eagle scoring drive with a 16-yard run by Jordan Ross to tie the score at 14. This tit-for-tat continued throughout the third quarter.
With 5:04 left in the fourth, the Spartan offense swung into overdrive, architecting a 79-yard scoring drive that gave Valley View the lead, and chewed up the clock. Bellbrook was now forced to go long and hope to move the game into overtime.
The Spartan defense, energized by the previous TD, would not take part in any overtime plans. With the ball on the Eagle 23, Abner snagged his second interception of the night. One play later, Bolen rolls past the front D-line and outruns the defenders 32 yards for the 35-21 win.
But the defense wanted to keep playing. On Bellbrook's next play from scrimmage, again trying to go long, Zack Frymoyer pick off a Ryan Bakita passs at the 42-yard line and returned it to the 10. Buehner then took a knee twice as the clock ran out.
Valley View will face Cincinnati Wyoming, an 18-16 winner over St. Marys, in the Regional Semi-Finals. Wyoming almost didn't make it to Round II. With 4.5 seconds to go, St. Marys got the ball into the end zone, but the play was ruled an illegal forward pass.
The Spartans have own a 4-1 record against the Cowboys, the only loss coming in the 1998 Regional Finals. Valley View Online will have a complete scouting report later in the week.
