Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

WILLOW WOOD — The Symmes Valley Vikings may be suffering from growing pains, but they are inflicting more pain than they’re feeling.

The young Vikings opened the season with a 20-0 shutout of the Reedsville Eastern Eagles Friday.

“We’re going through some growing pains, but the kids fought hard,” said Vikings’ coach Rusty Webb. “We understand we are going to have some mistakes, but we fought through it and we had some kids step up and play well.”

Symmes Valley used two turnovers to jump out to a 14-0 first quarter lead.

The Vikings recovered a fumble at the Eastern 40-yard line and Tanner Mays quickly connected with Cameron Meadows on a 38-yard pass play to the 2.

Mays kept the ball on the next play and scored to give the Vikings a 6-0 lead at the 2:25 mark.

The Vikings recovered another fumble at the 32-yard line and five plays later Tyler Rowe pounded his way into the end zone from 5 yards out. Brandon Craft ran for the conversion and it was 14-0.

Symmes Valley pushed the lead to 20-0 with 7:38 left in the half with a 79-yard, eight-play drive capped by Mays’ 9-yard scoring run.

The Vikings rolled up 308 total yards but failed to score more points because of eight fumbles. However, they recovered it every time they put it on the ground.

Rowe led the Vikings with 103 yards on 11 carries. Mays was 2 of 5 passing for 63 yards. Meadows had both receptions.

The defense limited the Eagles to 159 total yards. Quarterback Chase Cook was only 6 of 23 passing for 58 yards. Zack Scowden rushed 11 times for 57 yards.

“The defense did a really good job. Eastern is huge. They were a lot bigger than us, but our kids didn’t let it bother them,” said Webb.

Eastern 0 0 0 0 = 0

Syms. Valley 14 6 0 0 = 20

First Quarter

SV — Tanner Mays 2 run (kick blocked) 2:25

SV — Tyler Rowe 5 run (Brandon Craft run) 1:03

Second Quarter

SV — Tanner Mays 9 run (kick blocked) 7:38

RE SV

First downs 13 14

Rushes-yards 34-101 49-245

Passing yards 58 63

Total yards 159 308

Cmp-Att-Int 6-23-1 2-6-1

Fumbles-lost 3-2 8-0

Penalties-yards 7-52 3-34

Punts-average 4-26.2 3-31.0

Individual Leaders

RUSHING—Eastern: Zack Scowden 11-57. Symmes Valley: Tyler Rowe 11-103, Tanner Mays 10-27, Collin Webb 7-46, Dustin Holbrook 8-27, Brandon Craft 8-38, Kyle Vallance 2-4, Payton Hayes 3-0.

PASSING—Eastern: Chase Cook 6-23-1 58. Symmes Valley: Tanner Mays 2-5-1 63, Payton Hayes 0-1-0.

RECEIVING—Eastern: Tyler Barber 1-minus 15, Christian Speelman 1-29, Daschle Facemyer 2-42, Jett Facemyer 1-5, Dylan Bresciani 1-minus 3. Symmes Valley: Cameron Meadows 2-63.