Ross-led Valley holds off Deer Lakes for 1st win

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, September 22, 2017 | 11:48 PM

Valley finally got into the win column Friday night, putting together three second-half scoring drives then held off a late Deer Lakes rally to emerge with a 26-20 victory at Lancers Stadium.

Vikings junior Deonte Ross ran for 286 yards on 37 carries and scored two touchdowns, both in the third quarter as Valley forged a 20-0 advantage before Deer Lakes ended its two-game scoring drought.

Deer Lakes (0-4, 0-4) inserted junior quarterback Ethan Bender, who responded with 112 passing yards and three touchdowns to bring the Lancers to within six late in the game.

After Jared Colton recovered a Valley fumble at the Vikings 30, Colton hauled in a 29-yard scoring pass with 6 minutes, 14 seconds left in the game.

But Valley (1-3, 1-2) ran out the clock the rest of the way, with Ross taking the ball for 9 of the game's 11 final plays to secure the victory.

“It wasn't easy, it never is,” Vikings coach Muzzy Colosimo said. “We had a comfortable lead, then we let them back into the game. We had to keep doing what we do best, running the ball.”

Junior Tyler Green, who threw for 113 yards and one touchdown in the first half, attempted just two passes the second half as the Vikings stayed on the ground.

Valley had trouble sustaining any offensive momentum in the first half after the Vikings were whistled for 132 penalty yards.

“I told them at halftime that we're our own worst enemy,” Colosimo said. “We do something good, then something bad. We're starting a lot of young kids, and I told them we just have to learn how to win.”

Valley had a 119-57 advantage in yardage at the half but led only 7-0.

“We were down only seven at halftime, and we knew we could play better,” Bender said. “We definitely knew we were still in it.”

The homecoming evening was subdued by an injury to Deer Lakes sophomore Jack Hollibaugh after suffering a hit out of bounds at the Valley 3 with 2:28 left in the third quarter.

Hollibaugh was taken away by an ambulance crew for precautionary measures.

Following the Hollibaugh injury, the Lancers finally got on the scoreboard on a 3-yard pass to Colin Kadick, who also caught the 2-point conversion pass to slice the Valley lead to 20-8.

After the Vikings recovered an onside kick attempt, Noah Hutcherson ran 4 yards seven plays later to make it 26-8 Valley with 10:48 to go.

Bender found Colton for 41 yards and suddenly it was 26-14.

“We preach do your job, play all four quarters,” Bender said. “That's what we try to do, we haven't been able to do it the past couple of weeks. We weren't going to lay down and let them walk all over us.”

After Colton's second touchdown pass cut the Lancers deficit to 26-20, Valley used the “Big-I” formation with three players, including lineman Noah Baker, lining up directly behind the quarterback.

George Guido is a freelance writer.

Tags: Deer Lakes, Valley