Garden runs past Valley Head, 13-7

By Roy Mitchell

Spring Garden's offense is nothing like a box of chocolates. With the Panthers, you know exactly what you're going to get.

Runs, runs and more runs. Despite only one pass completion Friday night, Spring Garden conquered region foe Valley Head 13-7 in their home opener, capturing coach John McKay's first career victory.

Sophomore running back Forrest Livingston rushed for 127 yards and senior quarterback Tyler Smart scrambled for two touchdowns behind the blocking of the Panthers' workhorse offensive line: tackles, B.J. Turner and Craig Jones; guards, Dillon Maddox and Justin Holcomb; and center Caleb Steward.

Valley Head, however, mounted the game's first scoring threat, earning a first-and-goal early in the first quarter. But senior Panther linebacker, Brett Harrell snuffed out the Tiger drive, pouncing on a bobbled snap on the 4-yard line.

Through each team's next two possessions, defenses held strong as Forrest Gump's love for Jenny, stalemating the score at 0-0. Late in the second quarter, however, miscues for each team's respective kicking games led to the only two scores of the half.

With just over five minutes left before halftime, Valley Head squibbed a fourth-down punt and the Panthers took over at the Valley Head 39 yard line. Livingston (to the irresistible “run Forrest run!” shouts of some spectators) took advantage, carrying the Panthers on consecutive scampers to the Tiger 4.

Two plays later, Smart snuck in for a one yard score. Sophomore Greg Jones's point-after try pushed Spring Garden to a 7-0 lead. The ensuing, ineffective kickoff, bounding just a few yards to Valley Head's front line, granted the Tigers possession at the midfield stripe.

Six snaps later, Levi Hulgan, Valley Head's senior signal-caller, eluded the Panther rush and bounded for the score, a mere 32 seconds left on the clock. Sophomore Dallas Gregory's PAT knotted the score at 7-7.

The start of the second half marked the most pivotal drive of the contest. After receiving the kickoff, Spring Garden marched down the field with the persistence of Forrest Gump's platoon in a Vietnamese swamp. An eight-play, 66-yard drive, capped by Tyler Smart's six-yard scamper around left end, resulted in the final score. With the point after blocked, Spring Garden led 13-7.

Though the scoring may have ended, the suspense didn't. After the Tigers failed to secure a first down on their ensuing possession, Spring Garden promptly pushed into Valley Head territory, only to be thwarted by a Jonathan Cuzort interception.

The Panther defense would return the favor two plays later as sophomore Will Penton intercepted Hulgan with 2:17 left in the third quarter.

Valley Head's two remaining possessions were dominated by a stingy Spring Garden defense and untimely Valley Head penalties. In the Tigers' first set of downs, Hulgan's three plays were met with sacks by Craig Jones and Dillon Maddox. When Hulgan was actually able to fire the ball to a receiver out of the backfield, Brad Heath and Tyler Smart were like peas and carrots, together handing the receiver a five-yard loss.

After Spring Garden also failed to advance the pigskin, Valley Head took possession with 7:24 remaining. Though the Tigers amassed six plays of five yards or more on their last drive, they also lost 30 yards on five penalties. A sack also drove them back another eight yards, but the Tigers persisted.

Aided by a 19-yard Hulgan scamper, plus yardage from a Spring Garden penalty, Valley Head found themselves with a first down with two and a half minutes remaining, only 40 yards away from a game-tying score. Highlighted by senior end Cory Anderson's second sack of the drive, the hopes of the Tiger faithful were dashed by a Panther defensive stand as stingy as Lieutenant Dan.

On fourth down, Craig Jones sealed the Panther win with a sack.

When the final horn sounded, Panther players doused their new coach with a water-bucket shower.

Both teams continue Region 7 play this week as Valley Head (1-2, 1-1) travels to Cedar Bluff. Spring Garden (1-2, 1-1) competes at Gaston.

Panther Coach John McKay elaborated on the drive that put the Panthers ahead for good.

“We just needed to buckle down, run it down their throat, block, and do what we do,” he said. “We've got a young line but they were really getting it done.”

Despite the offensive accolades, McKay realized it was the defense that ensured the victory.

“We could see by the way things were happening that it was a defensive game,” he said. “The defense stepped up huge. That sealed it for us in the fourth quarter.”

And that was all he had to say about that.