Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

WILLOW WOOD — The start proved to be the finish.
A slow start was too much for the Symmes Valley Vikings to overcome as they lost 38-12 to the Beaver Eastern Eagles on Friday in a Southern Ohio Conference game.
Eastern (3-3, 3-0) led 8-0 after the first quarter and then scored 22 points in the second quarter to lead 30-0 at the half.
“We couldn’t get any momentum going in the first half. We challenge our kids and we came out in the second half and drove down and scored. For all the things that happened in the first half, I thought our kids responded well.”
Symmes Valley (2-4, 0-3) got a touchdown by Jack Leith in the third quarter to make it 30-6.
Both teams punched in a score in the fourth quarter with their second teams. Trent Turner ran 62 yards for the Vikings’ touchdown.
Leith ran 16 times for 45 yards and hit 3-of-7 passes for 32 yards. His brother — Luke Leith — had all three catches.
Keifer Wilson ran 12 times for 68 yards to elad the Vikings. Turner had 64 yards on two tries, Josh Ferguson 2-for-9, Derek Crum 2-for-1, Ethan Patterson 2-for-7 and Nick Strow 4-for-2.
Eastern ran for 332 yards on 37 carries. Wyatt Hines had 120 yards on 13 carries and Parker Clemons 113 on 15 attempts.
Wyatt Hines was 6-of-10 pass for 90 yards and two touchdowns. Logan Clemons had four catches for 79 yards and a touchdown while Parker Clemons also had a TD catch.
Next Friday, the Vikings visit Portsmouth Notre Dame in a league game.
Eastern 8 22 0 8 = 38
Sym. Valley 0 0 6 6 = 12