Tri-Valley Starts Off Strong vs Logan
By: David Butz
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DRESDEN, OH- Jack Anderson Stadium was the site for week one action between the Tri-Valley Scotties and Logan Chieftains on Friday Night. Coming off of another MVL title, Tri-Valley was determined to start the season off strong with a win at home in their non-conference match up with Logan.
Once the Scotties got rolling, they would not be denied, dominating the Chieftains on both sides of the football, primarily at the line of scrimmage. The overwhelming physical advantage would be too much for Logan to overcome, as Tri-Valley took the week one win, 35-7.
If there is one thing Scotties head coach Kevin Fell instilled in his team going in, it was an aggressive mindset. That mindset was evident in both the Scotties performance, and the playcalling early on. Junior quarterback Aidan Fritter was encouraged to let the ball fly early and often.
This game plan certainly had tremendous returns for the Tri-Valley offense early, as Fritter threw for an impressive 234 yards and two scores in the first half.
In that same high powered first half, another star performance manifested itself from running back Jordan Pantaleo, with 3 early scores, the junior’s first half hat trick certainly helped take some pressure off of his signal caller.
Despite the dominant offensive performance, Tri-Valley was not without mistakes. Three early drops in the end zone and a red zone fumble from the Scotties kept the first quarter competitive on the scoreboard.
The early mistakes did little to shake the Scotties confidence though, and with the defense refusing to give Logan an inch, it was only a matter of time until the floodgates opened for the offense. This offensive explosion combined with a dominant performance from the front seven allowed Tri-Valley to out-gain Logan in first half offensive yardage: 333 to 49.
Contrary to their opponent, Logan’s offensive philosophy was centered around the run game. Unfortunately for Head Coach Mike Eddy, his offensive line was overwhelmed all night.
Running lanes were virtually non-existent for the Chieftains, and quarterback Braedan Spatar didn’t fare much better. The field general certainly had his mobility and toughness tested in week one.
Blown assignments and overwhelmed blockers forced Spatar into poor scramble attempts and negative plays. The biggest takeaway in a rough week one performance like this has to be the toughness and composure of the team that started from the quarterback position.
Defensively, the same problems of matching Tri-Valley’s physicality were evident for Logan, with the pass rush struggling to keep pressure on Fritter or keep him from escaping the pocket to find targets downfield.
The reigning conference champs left little doubt as to whether or not they have what it takes to repeat, but early offensive mistakes may present a chink in the armor of this high powered passing attack.
Turnovers are the ultimate equalizer in the game of football, and missed opportunities at picking up points certainly do not trail far behind. While it is certainly safe to assume that some of the mistakes we saw from both teams can be traced largely to week one jitters, both coaching staffs certainly know that their best football lies in front of them.
What lies ahead of both squads in the near future however, important week two opportunities. For Logan, a home game against Teays Valley might give the Chieftains a chance to flip the script and even their record.
For Tri-Valley, this dominating week one win gives them the positive momentum they were looking for. Such momentum might be crucial as the Scotties travel to Benjamin Logan High School next week to take on the Raiders.