In a win-or-go home situation, defense handled the load for the Happy Valley.
The Warriors recovered three fumbles, blocked a punt for a score and passed for two more in a 22-0 win at over Oneida Friday to advance in the TSSAA Class 2A Playoffs.
Friday’s victory was the fourth shutout of the year for the gridiron gang from Warrior Hill, with three coming at home.
Looking for a spark early, the Warriors (8-3) ended up igniting a fire with Josh Hyatt blocking a punt in Indian territory and followed Dakota Cochran’s lead block to the end zone from over 20 yards out. Cochran did the honors on the two-point conversion to give Happy Valley the 8-0 lead with 9:53 to go in the first quarter.
“That’s a huge momentum swing,” said Warrior head coach Jason Jarrett. “We’re at our best when we’re making plays in all three phases of the game. That’s what we try to pride ourselves in. The blocked punt by Josh, with the scoop and score, was huge and the was a big block to make it happen.”
Oneida (6-5) was able to dink and dunk down the field but were stalled but were plagued with turnovers. Eli Fleenor hauled in two fumble recoveries while Luke Naylor secured a loose ball late in the fourth as the Warriors were able to wreak havoc up front throughout the night.
Cochran made his presence known on both sides of the ball, forcing one fumble, rushing for over 80 yards and coming up with an 8-yard pass with 7:06 left in the fourth, effectively putting the game out of reach.
“Dakota has been coming into his own, week in and week out, and continues to get better,” Jarrett said. “We’re just blessed to have great football players. Our guys up front helped us move the ball. I couldn’t be prouder of their effort.”
Happy Valley picked up their second score with 5:07 left in the first half when Noah Stevens took a lateral from Brayden Sams (9-16, 58 yards) and tossed a 24-yard strike to Will Tittle for a touchdown. Sams’ two-point run put the score at 16-0 heading into halftime.
With the win, the Warriors will now travel to No. 1 state-ranked Meigs County Friday night.
For more in-depth coverage, photos, comments from coach Jarrett and a look ahead to round two of the postseason, be sure to pick up Gridiron Weekly, available in the Tuesday print edition of the Elizabethton Star.