By TIM TAYLORTioga County Sports Report
WALTON — Newark Valley took advantage of an early Walton miscue, then held on to defeat the Warriors, 22-16, in Section IV Division V football action on an overcast and rainy Saturday afternoon.
After giving up a 60-yard return on the opening kickoff, NV turned the tables on the Warriors, beginning with Kaiden Pado’s interception of Caleb Moren’s pass.
Pado’s pick was a key play for the visitors, according to NV head coach Ted Hardenstine said.
“That was definitely a huge momentum shift to start the game. That kind of had our kids riding high and playing with confidence,” he said. “We were in the right position and made a big play.”
The Cardinals turned it into an 11-play, 80-yard scoring drive capped by Dan Truesdail’s 1-yard touchdown plunge in the rain midway through the first quarter. Pado’s PAT run gave NV an 8-0 advantage.
A personal foul helped snub Walton’s next possession, but NV would cough up the ball and Walton’s TJ Tweedie Jr jumped on the loose ball.
The Cardinals would return the favor as Alec Rosenburg sacked Moren and Pado pounced on a fumble at his own 38.
The next play produced a 45-yard Truesdail-to-Tim Wojtysiak pass down to the Walton 17. Three plays later, Logan Rhodes scored on an 8-yard run and Truesdail’s PAT run made it 16-0 at the midway point of the second period.
The ensuing kickoff ricocheted off a Warrior player’s leg and Eric Hunt jumped on the rock at his own 48. NV moved the ball down to the Walton 13, but London Gardner won a battle with Gabe Merrill for a Zach Cornell pass in the end zone.
The first three series of the second half resulted in punts, but the fourth saw NV’s Jackson Hoover recover Seth Hunter’s fumble at the Walton 22.
Truesdail picked up 17 yards on the next play, then Rhodes scored on a 5-yard run with 1:14 to go in the third quarter. The PAT run failed, but the Cardinals were sitting on a 22-0 cushion.
The Warriors would respond with a 12-play, 64-yard drive to get on the scoreboard at 9:05 of the fourth quarter as 6-foot-2, 236-pound fullback Colby Phraner bulled his way into the end zone from the eight. Moren’s PAT pass to Gardner made it 22-8.
NV responded with Truesdail picking up 15 yards and Cooper Davis tacking on another 11 to start the next drive, but a Cardinal penalty helped stall the drive at the Walton 36.
The Warriors took advantage of a pair of 15-yard penalties to put another TD on the board on a 28-yard pass. Moren’s PAT run cut the lead to 22-16 with 2:19 showing on the clock.
“They made a little bit of an adjustment and started bringing a little more pressure, smart to do, you know, in an environment where everybody, with a lead was just kind of waiting for the rain to come, wanted to kind of play conservative and protect the ball,” Hardenstine said.
“We were kind of content to make it that kind of a game and then at the end, we’ve got to play cleaner at the end. They were able to get a few plays on us and we gave up a couple penalties where we weren't in the best position.
“Take nothing away from our guys. I'm so, so happy with the way they competed today and I felt like this was one of our better games we had up front on both sides of the ball.”
Phraner recovered the onside kick at the NV 48, but the Cardinals came up with a defensive stand to secure the victory as Phraner was stuffed for no gain on third-and-1 and fourth-and-1.
Truesdail finished the game with 94 rushing yards on 15 carries while completing one pass attempt for 45 more. Rhodes added 63 yards on 11 runs and Wojtysiak had one reception for 45 yards.
With the win, NV (4-2 overall) moves into a tie with Delhi (5-1) for second place in the division at 3-1. The Cardinals head to Bainbridge-Guilford (2-3, 1-3) Friday night. Walton (3-2) slips to 2-2, along with SVEC (4-2) which lost to Tioga Friday, 49-7.
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IN PHOTO 1: NV’s Titus Callahan brings down Walton’s Colby Phraner. ... PHOTOS BY TIM TAYLOR.
