By Steve Christilaw, correspondent
West Valley loves Homecoming games.
The Eagles won their own Homecoming game last month, then threw a damper on Moscow’s Homecoming game. This time they spoiled Cheney’s celebration with a hard-fought, 17-14 win and drank in the post-game fireworks as a reward.
West Valley earned the win with some hard-nosed run defense that would occasionally bend, but did not break.
The Eagles made several key defensive stands in the first half – denying the Blackhawks the end zone when they had a first-and-goal at the WV 9.
“Our run defense the last three games has been lights-out,” West Valley fullback/defensive lineman Jace Malek said. “We stopped them three times inside our own 30 yard line in the first half, but stopping them inside the 10 was huge.”
That the teams went into the lockerroom locked in a scoreless game was cause for celebration for West Valley.
“Our guys were ecstatic at halftime,” West Valley coach Craig Whitney said. “The were all fired up for the second half.
Cheney scored on the opening possession of the second half, breaking open a scoreless game when Josh Martin found Keenan Williams alone in the end zone with a 10-yard touchdown pass, but West Valley’s Zach Herford answered that score by returning the ensuing kick-off for a touchdown.
Austin Lee got the West Valley offense churning out yards, driving 87 yards in 11 plays, sneaking in from the 3 for the go-ahead score.
“The field was playing a little sloppy and the footing wasn’t good,” Whitney said. “Austin is more of a four-wheel-drive kind of kid and he was able to run the ball. If you get us on a dry field, we have some Corvettes, but they couldn’t get started.”
Taylor Morton blocked a Cheney punt deep in the Blackhawks’ end of the field and the Eagles got the ball at the 25, then got a first-and-goal at the 8 when Cheney committed a personal foul.
Cruz Bale booted a 25-yard field goal to make it 17-7 with 9:00 left in the game.
Cheney wasted no time cutting into that lead. Martin found Williams on the first play of the ensuing drive and the 255-pound tight end rumbled 65 yards for a touchdown, deftly hurdling a would-be tackler at midfield.
The Blackhawks had three possessions, but the Eagles forced a punt and picked off a Martin pass at midfield to keep the Blackhawks penned in their own end of the field. On the third possession, time ran out.
Lee injured an ankle late in the game and came out of the game to start West Valley’s final possession, but limped back out to help run out the clock.
“I’m just so confident in my teammates and what we can do,” Lee said. “I’m proud of them all.”
