Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

WILLOW WOOD — There was offense and there was defense which means there was a win.
Layken Gothard scored 18 points and the defense was stingy as the Symmes Valley Vikings opened the season with a 55-30 rout of the South Gallia Rebels and gave head coach Chad Coffman a win in his coaching debut.
“It was a good team win to open the season,” said Coffman.
“We will look forward to getting back into the gym and trying to work hard to get better.”
Brock Carpenter had 11 points and Hunter Adams added nine points in the Vikings’ win.
Eli Ellis scored nine points and Curtis Haner eight for the Rebels (0-1).
Gothard hit a pair of 3-pointers and scored 11 points in the first quarter as the Vikings took a 14-10 first quarter lead.
Ellis and Haner scored four points each in the quarter to keep the Rebels close.
Adams hit a triple and scored five points in the second quarter, Jack Leith scored four points and Nick Klaiber added a trifecta as the Vikings went up 28-17 at the half.
Carpenter scored seven of the Vikings’ nine points in the third quarter as the offense went cold and the lead was 37-25.
But Gothard had five points, Adams four and Justin White added a 3-pointer as the Vikings outscored the Rebels 18-5 to close out the win.
The Vikings visits Beaver Eastern on Tuesday.
South Gallia    10    7    8    5    =    30
Symmes Valley    14    14    9    18    =    55
SOUTH GALLIA (0-1): Jaxxon Mage 1 0 0-0 2, Curtis Haner 4 0 0-1 8, Eli Ellis 3 1 0-2 9, Austin Stapleton 2 0 2-2 6, Andrew Small 0 0 0-0 0, Colton Bowers 0 0 0-0 0, Bryce Nolan 1 0 1-2 3, Ethan Bevan 0 0 0-0 0, Bryceton Folden 0 0 0-0 0, Austin Day 1 0 0-0 2. Totals: 12 1 3-7 30. Fouls: 10. Fouled out: None.
SYMMES VALLEY (1-0): Jacob Sites 0 0 0-0 0, Derik Brace 0 0 0-0 0, Justin White 0 1 0-0 3, Jack Leith 3 0 0-0 6, Michael Holschuh 0 0 0-0 0, Alec Carpenter 1 0 0-0 2, Nick Klaiber 0 1 0-0 3, Layken Gothard 5 2 2-4 18, Austin Mannon 0 1 0-2 3, Hunter Adams 3 1 0-0 9, Brock Carpenter 4 1 0-0 11. Totals: 16 7 2-4 55. Fouls: 12. Fouled out: None.