Happy Valley blanks Panthers in 1-2A clash
Published 1:12 pm Monday, October 21, 2024
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent It was not only Senior Night on Warrior Hill Friday evening but also Homecoming Night. Senior Grace Hollifield, escorted by Donavan Maxwell, was crowned Homecoming queen during the halftime festivities.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Warriors’ Lane Parker (1) cuts back hard and scampers into the end zone to give Happy Valley an early 6-0 lead at the 10:12 mark of the first quarter.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent Happy Valley extends its lead to 12-0 on this pick-six by Mason Davis (2) with 9:59 left in the first quarter.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Warriors’ Mason Davis (2) steps in front of a pass intended for Cumberland Gap’s Allen Brooks (11), momentarily juggles it, and returns it for a touchdown on the Panthers' first play from scrimmage.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Happy Valley Warriors storm the field atop Warrior Hill as they prepare to take on the Panthers of Cumberland Gap on what is both Senior and Homecoming Night.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Warriors’ Ron Paul Parker (12) nearly hauls in this pass for a touchdown, with Cumberland Gap’s Jacob Jordan (5) all over him midway through the first quarter.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Warrior defense stuffs Cumberland Gap’s Curtis Henley (25) at the line of scrimmage for little to no gain late in the first quarter.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent Cumberland Gap’s Koalton Cupp (27) gets a touchdown-saving handful of Jamie Esterline’s (5) jersey, dragging him to the ground early in the second quarter.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Warriors' Jamie Esterline (5) makes an amazing over-the-shoulder catch, in stride, and is eventually brought down inside the five-yard line, setting Happy Valley up with a first-and-goal early in the second quarter.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent Happy Valley quarterback Gabe McDougald (6) finds an opening off tackle right and plunges into the end zone from half a yard out to make the score 18-0 with seven minutes left in the half.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent After the officiating crew wiped off the two preceding two-point tries for infractions, the Warriors’ Artee Bahn (11) makes a juggling catch in the end zone on the third try, opening Happy Valley’s lead to 20-0 in the second quarter.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent Happy Valley quarterback Gabe McDougald (6) scrambles outside the pocket and hits Matthew Murray (25) for a first down late in the second quarter.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Warriors’ Tyler Berry (44) plows his way into the end zone for the final touchdown of the first half with 2:49 left in the second quarter. Happy Valley went into the locker room with a 28-0 lead.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Happy Valley cheerleaders get the crowd fired up during a timeout midway through the second quarter.
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Star Correspondent
On Friday night at Warrior Hill, defense took equal billing with the offense as Happy Valley shut out the Cumberland Gap Panthers 45-0. The Warriors (5-1 overall, 3-1 conference) scored three defensive touchdowns, with Tyler Bailey and Artie Bahn returning interceptions for scores, and Mason Norman adding a fumble recovery for a touchdown.
The Warriors opened the game with a 65-yard drive on four plays, capped by sophomore Lane Parker’s 25-yard touchdown run, giving Happy Valley a 6-0 lead after a missed extra point. The Warriors struck again on Cumberland Gap’s first offensive play when Bailey picked off quarterback Allen Brooks and returned it 18 yards for a 12-0 lead.
“I feel like we played great defense tonight,” Warriors head coach Jason Jarrett said. “I feel that great defense has always been synonymous with Happy Valley. Any time you can score on defense, that’s a bonus, and it helps position you for big wins.”
Happy Valley opened the second quarter with a 69-yard, nine-play drive, ending with a 2-yard run by quarterback Gabe McDougald. McDougald then connected with Bahn for the two-point conversion, extending the lead to 20-0.
The defense stepped up again for the Warriors, stopping Cumberland Gap on a fourth-and-three from the 35-yard line. Happy Valley responded with a seven-play drive, capped by fullback Tyler Berry’s 3-yard touchdown run, pushing the lead to 26-0 at halftime.
“Tyler is important to us on both sides of the ball for sure,” Jarrett said. “We moved the ball efficiently, were balanced, and tried to throw the ball a little bit. The situations allowed us to do that, and Gabe ran the offense well, and the line blocked well.”
After forcing a punt on Cumberland Gap’s first drive of the third quarter, Parker scored on a wild play. McDougald took the snap, faked a dive by Berry, and pitched a lateral to Parker, who raced 62 yards for a 33-0 lead. Moments later, Norman scooped up a loose ball and returned it 23 yards for another touchdown, making it 39-0.
Just before the end of the third quarter, Bahn intercepted Panthers quarterback Tate Murphy with a one-handed grab and returned it 75 yards for the final score.
A highlight for Cumberland Gap came in the closing minute of the game when Italian exchange student Federico Alfe took a handoff at his own 20-yard line and raced 70 yards to the Warriors’ 10-yard line. Alfe was tackled at the 3-yard line as time ran out.
Happy Valley 45, Cumberland Gap 0
Cumberland Gap: 0 0 0 0 – 0
Happy Valley: 12 14 19 0 – 45
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
H – L. Parker 25 run (kick failed), 6:36
H – Bailey 18 interception return (kick failed), 7:59
Second Quarter
H – McDougald 2 run (McDougald pass to Bahn), 7:00
H – Berry 3 run (run failed), 0:27.4
Third Quarter
H – L. Parker 62 run (Esterline kick), 10:37
H – Norman 23 fumble return (pass failed), 7:48
H – Bahn 75 interception return (kick failed), 2:02
