OAK HILL —Valley senior George Arnett scored via three varying means, fellow senior Colton Buckle ran for two touchdowns and kicked five extra points, and the visiting Indians didn’t allow an Oak Hill point until the game’s final play.
In all, it added up to the Indians evening their record to 3-3 — and capturing a 35-7 Southern Ohio Conference Division II victory on Friday night, inside Oak Hill High School’s Davis Stadium.
The matchup marked also the SOC II opener for both squads, as the young Oaks fell to 1-5.
Oak Hill shut out winless Wellston in its opener, and scored 27 points, but has struggled offensively in the five weeks since.
The Indians almost made it a shutout —although Austin Crosby crossed the goal line from three yards out on the game’s ending snap.
Valley scored at least seven points in each period, including on a 29-yard pass from freshman Carson Powell to Arnett with seven minutes and 49 seconds remaining —which made it 35-0, and enforced the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s running-clock rule for the remainder of the game.
Arnett amassed in the second half a passing touchdown, a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown —as his TD toss hooked up with fellow senior Hunter Edwards from 43 yards out, and midway through the third frame for a 21-0 lead.
Arnett then had a one-yard run with 2:15 to play in the third —which occurred only four minutes and 21 seconds following his passing touchdown.
Arnett rushed five times for 45 yards, completed 4-0f-10 passes for 65 yards, and actually led in receiving with four catches for 56 yards.
Buckle carried 17 times for 103 yards, scoring from a yard away with 28 seconds left in the opening stanza —and again from seven yards out with three-and-a-half minutes left in the second.
The third quarter was the only Indian dozen-minute period of 14 points.
Carter Nickel was 4-of-4 passing for Valley, and caught two passes for 25 yards —as Gabe McNeil rushed 10 times for 62.
The Indians amounted 348 yards of total offense (134 rushing and 214 passing), as Oak Hill (157 total yards) had almost 200 yards less.
Valley returns home to The Reservation, and returns to SOC II action, on Friday night against Waverly (2-4, 0-1 SOC II).
* * *
Valley 7 7 14 7 —35
Oak Hill 0 0 0 7 —7
V — Colton Buckle, 1-yard run (Colton Buckle kick), :28, 1st (7-0 V)
V — Colton Buckle, 7-yard run (Colton Buckle kick), 3:33, 2nd (14-0 V)
V — Hunter Edwards, 43-yard pass from George Arnett (Colton Buckle kick), 6:36, 3rd (21-0 V)
V — George Arnett, 1-yard run (Colton Buckle kick), 2:15, 3rd (28-0 V)
V — George Arnett, 29-yard pass from Carson Powell (Colton Buckle kick), 7:49, 4th (35-0 V)
OH —Austin Crosby, 3-yard run (kick good), :00, 4th (35-7 V)
——
Individual Leaders
RUSHING — Valley: Colton Buckle 17-103 2TD, Gabe McNeil 10-62, George Arnett 5-45 TD, Carter Nickel 1-4; Oak Hill: not available
PASSING —Valley: George Arnett 4-10-0-65 TD, Carter Nickel 4-4-0-36, Carson Powell 2-3-0-33 TD; Oak Hill: not available
RECEIVING —Valley: George Arnett 4-56 TD, Hunter Edwards 1-43 TD, Carter Nickel 2-25, Colton Buckle 2-17, Jaekyn Ridout 1-3; Oak Hill: not available
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