WILLOW WOOD — Going in at halftime, Symmes Valley coach Rusty Webb was thinking his Vikings were in pretty good shape.

The Oak Hill Oaks re-shaped the situation in the second half.

Trailing just 14-7 at the half, the Vikings had upset on their mind. But the Oaks were able to use a big third quarter to break the game open and post a 40-13 win Friday in a battle for first place in the Southern Ohio Conference Division I race.

“All year we’ve played well in the third quarter. We had a bad quarter and Oak Hill came out and played well in the third quarter,” said Webb.

The Vikings (7-1, 2-1) turned in a goal line stand and took over the ball inside their 1-yard line early in the game. However, they were unable to move the ball and Oak Hill used the short field to score as Westen Hale ran 22 yards for a touchdown.

Dylan Lewis kicked the extra point and it was 7-0.

The lead lasted all of 18 seconds as Jacob Patterson returned the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown and Cody Myers kicked the conversion to tie the game at 7-7.

Oak Hill (7-1, 3-0) used an 8-play, 60-yard drive midway through the second quarter to take a 14-7 lead. Hale ran 5 yards for the score and Lewis added the conversion.

Hale finished the game with an Oak Hill single-game record of 327 yards on 31 carries and five touchdowns.

The Vikings drove to the Oaks’ 7-yard line only to fumble away the chance to tie the score just before halftime.

Oak Hill then marched to the Vikings’ 30, but Myers picked off a Jesse Slone pass and it was 14-7 at the break.

“There were a couple of times our kids could have dropped their heads and they didn’t,” said Webb. “You hate to have a loss, but the kids battled. We still have a chance to make the playoffs. There’s still a lot to play for.”

But in the third quarter, the Oaks drove 52 yards in just three plays with Hale going 45 yards for the score.

The Vikings were pinned deep in their own territory and were forced to punt and the Oaks took advantage of the short field to go 50 yards for another TD as Hale ran 3 yards at the 5:52 mark.

Patterson returned the kickoff to the 46 and four plays later Evan Herrell raced 20 yards for the touchdown and it was 26-13 with 4:40 left in the quarter.

Hale had a 44-yard run to the 2-yard line that set up a 2-yard touchdown plunge by Joey Maynard to make it 33-13.

Hale ran 41 yards for the final score with 10:19 to play and set the final score.

Oak Hill 7 7 19 7 = 40

Sym. Valley 7 0 6 0 = 13

First Quarter

OH — Westen Hale 22 run (Dylan Lewis kick) 0:30 5-42

SV — Jacob Patterson 95 kickoff return (Cody Myers kick) 0:12

Second Quarter

OH — Westen Hale 5 run (Dylan Lewis kick) 7:38 8-60

Third Quarter

OH — Westen Hale 45 run (kick failed) 8:32 forced SV punt then drove 52 yards 3 plays

OH — Westen Hale 3 run (pass failed) 5:52

SV — Evan Herrell 20 run (kick failed) 4:40

OH — Joey Maynard 2 run (Dylan Lewis kick) 2:09 (OH converted Hale long run 44 yard to 2

Fourth Quarter

OH — Westen Hale 41 run (Dylan Lewis kick) 10:19

OH SV

First downs 21 12

Rushes-yards 44-353 36-167

Passing yards 138 9

Total yards 491 176

Cmp-Att-Int 9-16-1 2-7-0

Fumbles-lost 1-1 1-1

Punts-average 0-00.0 4-28.5

Penalties-yards 8-75 9-82

Individual Leaders

RUSHING-Oak Hill: Westen Hale 31-327, Joey Maynard 5-12; Symmes Valley: Jacob Patterson 12-58, Cody Myers 3-2, Evan Herrell 8-47, Hunter Boggs 5-9, Alec Herrell 4-40, D.J. Miller 4-11.

PASSING-Oak Hill: 9-16-1 138; Symmes Valley: Cody Myers 2-7-0 9.

RECEIVING-Oak Hill: Joey Maynard 3-35, Jesse Parker 3-46; Symmes Valley: Jacob Patterson 1-9.