SATURDAY NIGHT LIGHTS SHINE ON SOUTHERN
LIBERTY OH- In an eagerly anticipated Saturday night showdown, Southern sought revenge against Valley Christian, who had clinched the EOAC title over them the previous season. The Indians came through with a thrilling 46-36 win in front of a prime-time audience.
The first quarter set the stage for Southern’s offensive fireworks. Landen Heffner kicked things off with a 35-yard touchdown run, giving the Indians an early 6-0 lead with 9:18 on the clock. Southern kept the momentum going as Logan Mettenburger contributed with a 7-yard touchdown run, extending their lead to 12-0 at 1:31.
In the second quarter, Valley Christian made an effort to claw back into the game. Timmy Potts connected with Markell Smith on a 13-yard touchdown pass, narrowing the gap to 12-6 with 8:17 left. However, Southern responded swiftly, with Tommy Potts executing a 1-yard quarterback sneak, pushing their lead to 26-6 with 4:31 remaining.
Valley Christian managed to find the end zone before the half as Ike Lake executed a 9-yard quarterback run, making it 26-12 with just 35 seconds left on the clock.
The third quarter featured a safety, adding two points to Southern’s lead, now at 28-12. A pivotal moment came when Valley Christian returned an interception for a touchdown, closing the gap to 28-20 with 2:10 left in the quarter.
As the fourth quarter began, Heffner scored his second touchdown of the night with a 1-yard run, extending Southern’s lead to 34-20 with 10:00 remaining. Valley Christian wasn’t ready to concede, as Ahmire Dixon returned a kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown, making it a 34-22 game.
Southern continued to find the end zone with a 60-yard touchdown run, increasing their lead to 40-22. Valley Christian responded with another kickoff return for a touchdown by Dixon, cutting the deficit to 40-28.
However, Southern put the game out of reach with Frank Shagnot’s 50-yard touchdown run, securing a 46-28 lead with 7:36 left. Valley Christian managed one more trick play, a flea-flicker that resulted in a 50-yard touchdown, but it wasn’t enough to complete the comeback.
