Happy Valley’s strong start evaporates as Black Knights roll
Published 12:37 am Saturday, August 27, 2022
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Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Happy Valley's Drew Blevins brings the football up the field for the Warriors on the opening kickoff.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Senior Warrior quarterback Reagan Ensor sets the offensive up on the first drive of the game for Happy Valley.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Bronson Norman of Happy Valley tries to get to the outside against the Chuckey-Doak defense.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Happy Valley's Joseph Sowards was all over the field for the Warriors Friday in Afton as he carried the football on the first drive of the game over the goal line for Happy Valley's only score of the contest and then kicked the point-after.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Joseph Sowards bulls his way forward for a Happy Valley first down.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
A Happy Valley defender wraps up a Chuckey-Doak runner for a loss.
STAR CORRESPONDENT
AFTON – After waiting until almost 8:30 p.m. for the kickoff due to lightning in the area, the Happy Valley Warriors took the field with some grit and determination in their eyes as they traveled to Greene County to take on the Chuckey-Doak Black Knights.
However, after a solid start in the first quarter, the wheels came off the Warriors’ wagon as the Black Knights turned a blocked punt into a touchdown and never looked back in taking a 49-7 victory Friday night.
The Warriors started having the HV faithful feeling pretty good about their team as the Warriors took the opening kickoff and methodically drove the ball down the field behind the hard-nosed running of junior Joseph Sowards and senior Bronson Norman.
Taking eight minutes off the first quarter clock, Sowards was rewarded for his hard running when he cashed in on a seven-yard plunge and then added the point-after attempt for the early 7-0 Warrior lead.
After holding the Black Knights defensively, the Warriors got the ball back but were unable to do anything with it and set up to punt it away.
The Black Knights burst through the line like a gang of bank robbers to get a hand on the punt and take over at the HV 10-yard line.
Chuckey-Doak pulled even when quarterback Cadin Tullock found Brandon Frank on a 10-yard touchdown toss. The point-after was good and the game was tied at 7-7.
The Black Knights added three scores in the second quarter including two scores from Brasen Murven to take a 28-7 lead to the locker room.
Coming out of the break, the Black Knights put the game on ice as they added 21 second-half points to win going away.
A scary moment for the Happy Valley Warrior fans came in the closing minutes of the third quarter when freshman Warrior Aiden Paul was blindsided from the backside resulting in Paul being taken off the field on a stretcher.
After a long injury delay, the game officials put eight minutes on the board to start the fourth after the injury.
As the game was winding to an end, Malachi Shaver tried to get another score on the board for the Warriors as the sophomore had dazzling runs of 41 and 21 yards before the clock expired on the drive.
Happy Valley returns home to open their 2022 conference slate next week when the Warriors play host to the South Greene Rebels on Warrior Hill.
Game time is 7:30 p.m.
