Just a few minutes before kickoff, an inspired River Valley team ran through a giant inflatable helmet. A few minutes after kickoff, the Raider’s hope for their first win of the season deflated faster than the helmet.
Nelsonville-York crushed River Valley 51-7 Friday night at River Valley High School. It was the fifth-straight year the Buckeyes beat the Raiders.
After forcing a three-and-out on the first series, it only took the Buckeyes (3-2, 3-2 TVC-Ohio) three plays to get on the board. By the end of the first quarter, they led 28-0.
“That’s exactly what we wanted,” head coach Rusty Richards said, “to come in, get up and put this game away early and get our young kids in a little bit.”
The younger players had a field day against River Valley’s defense, which has yet to hold an opponent under 30 points this season. Freshman wide receiver Makhi Williams scored two touchdowns while playing the spot of the injured Brandon Phillips. Hudson Stalder, a sophomore, scored his first varsity touchdown after coming close in the last two weeks.
Junior quarterback Drew Carter also had his best game of the season. He made three touchdowns in the first half on 11-of-13 passing.
Defensively, the Buckeyes showed no mercy towards the Raiders. They barely allowed them to get to the line of scrimmage, and after some costly fumbles and sacks, River Valley amounted to -6 total yards of offense.
Stopping the run was on the top of the game plan for Nelsonville-York in practice this week.
“Watching the film against Vinton County, [River Valley] went up and down the field against Vinton,” Coach Richards said. “The kids were maybe a little leery, looking ahead to Athens, but we showed them that film like, ‘Hey, these guys can run the ball.’”
The longest drive of the game for the Raiders (0-5, 0-5 TVC-Ohio) came in the first quarter thanks to two personal fouls committed by Nelsonville-York. One particularly loud fan on the home side rejoiced at the sight of the slow-moving offense making its way up the field, but a Buckeyes fan swiftly made sure to remind him that penalties were more successful in moving the ball than the offense itself.
Next week, Nelsonville-York returns home for possibly the final time of the 2020 season to play Athens. Coach Richards will be looking for a more balanced attack in the regular-season finale.
“We just have to run the ball a little better,” Richards said. “We have to stay consistent.”
The Buckeyes have beaten Athens in three of their last four matchups. We will have to wait and see how this game unfolds.
