Nelsonville-York spoils celebrations in River Valley
By: Erin Ashley
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GALLIPOLIS, Ohio (WOUB) — The River Valley Raiders celebrated the 30th anniversary of their football program’s creation by hosting the Nelsonville-York Buckeyes in a TVC-Ohio showdown.
Raider alumni filled the bleachers and accompanied the band and the cheerleaders, but one particular tradition was recognized by all. A single yellow rose sat upon an empty chair on the field, symbolizing the support of the faculty and staff to the football program. This rose will then be presented to the graduating senior class later in the Spring.
Hudson Stalder made no hesitations, evading capture by the Raiders defense and securing 6-points for the Buckeyes right off the bat. With both defenses rising to the occasion, the remainder of the quarter remained scoreless.
The Raiders defense put up a worthy fight against the Buckeye offense within the first quarter, staving off the furious duo of Stalder and Makhi Williams temporarily. However, the two led the Buckeye offense against the odds in back-to-back fourth down runs.
Thirsty for more, Williams carries the ball and sets the Buckeyes up for yet another red zone rush. Stalder capitalizes on the opportunity, making this a two-score game.
River Valley rallied to put themselves on the board before the end of the half. Justin Stump looked to connect with Elijah Perry before it was tipped away by Leighton Loge into the hands of Tommy Mitchell. Mitchell then carried the ball deep into Raider territory.
Now within the red zone, Stalder secured yet another touchdown for the Buckeyes, extending their lead to 20 to 0 just before halftime. The Raiders struggled to stop him in his tracks, letting him walk away from this game with four touchdowns and 148 yards.
The Buckeyes locked in for the second half, only letting in one score by the Raiders. With a final blow of the whistle, Nelsonville-York secured themselves a 41 to 6 victory over River Valley.