From: Chris Harlan

Saturday, August 24, 2024 | 00:38

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Big running plays are a big part of Central Valley’s offense, especially with a 200-pound running back who has a reputation for being difficult to tackle.

But the most important plays of the night came from Montour’s defense, which had been preparing for this matchup for some time. Central Valley running back Jance Henry Jr. scored twice more on Friday night, but Montour earned a 24-14 victory in Week Zero by containing the Warriors’ tough running game.

“We just knew we had to stop the run,” Montour safety Daniel Batch said. “We hit a lot during practice and prepared to hit against Jance because we knew he was a power back. He can really run the ball.”

Central Valley was limited to 153 yards on 39 attempts.

Henry rushed for 106 yards on 22 attempts, but the sophomore’s two longest runs were just 16 and 11 yards. Central Valley had little room to run against a Montour defense that returned its top tacklers from last year.

“It takes more than one man to bring him down,” Montour linebacker Cole Midili said. “We were really good at beating him in group attacks. … We knew they had a strong running game. We prepared for that in practice. We knew they would try to put that on us.”

Montour (1-0) also held up well in some short-range situations. In the first half alone, Central Valley managed 1 of 6 third-down conversions.

“We put a lot of emphasis on stopping the running game this week,” Montour coach Lou Cerro said. “We were lucky to be able to stop Henry on some key third downs. Mark (Lyons) is a good coach. Last year he played on a Power I team and he beat us up at the end of the game. Obviously we prepared for that.”

Montour went 21-20 last season when both teams were in the Class 4A Parkway Conference. Central Valley dropped to 3A in the last realignment this fall.

This rematch ended at the beginning of the fourth quarter with a score of 17:14.

That three-point lead grew when Montour quarterback Trey Hopper connected with receiver Marcus Battles for a 42-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter to give them a 10-point lead. Hopper, a first-year starter, led Montour on a five-play, 82-yard touchdown drive that also featured a 33-yard catch by Battles.

Hopper completed 12 of 21 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns, including a 26-yard pass to AJ Alston in the third quarter.

“He has found a rhythm,” Cerro said of the senior. “He is very ambitious. He wants to do well.”

Batch also scored on a 2-yard run.

Central Valley (0-1) had hoped for more from its offense, which brought back its regular players in the backfield, at quarterback and on the offensive line.

“That’s where we should be better,” Central Valley coach Mark Lyons said. “That’s where we need to be better. (There are) too many guys who have played so many snaps that that shouldn’t be happening.”

Montour’s defense twice intercepted passes by Central Valley quarterback Steven Rutherford. The senior completed 7 of 19 passes for 205 yards, with Batch intercepting him in the first quarter and Nino DiMichael intercepting him in the second quarter.

Montour scored on the game’s first possession to take an early 3-0 lead. The Spartans relied heavily on running back Caden Halajcio, running 68 yards in 11 plays to set up a 28-yard field goal by senior kicker Brayden Davin.

Halajcio had runs of 26 and 13 yards during the drive.

Montour reached the end zone on its second possession, a 14-play, 76-yard drive that ended with a 2-yard touchdown run by Batch. The run, which lasted more than 5 minutes, began late in the first quarter and continued into the second.

Batch’s touchdown gave Montour a 10-0 lead.

Central Valley’s first three possessions resulted in two interceptions and a failed fourth down. But just before halftime, the Warriors got on the offensive, gaining 80 yards in nine plays and ending with a 16-yard touchdown run by Henry – his longest run of the day.

With the first half clock counting down, the touchdown drive lasted less than 2 minutes. Henry crossed the goal line with 34 seconds left, cutting Montour’s lead to 10-7 at halftime.

In the third period each team scored a goal.

Montour extended its lead to 17-7 when AJ Alston caught a 26-yard touchdown from Hopper, capping a 66-yard run. Central Valley answered late in the third quarter with an 80-yard run that ended with a 1-yard touchdown run by Henry.

Montour entered the fourth inning with a narrow 17-14 lead. In a defensive-focused game, the two longest plays of the night – Battles’ 33- and 42-yard catches in the fourth inning – decided the win for Montour.

“Ultimately, we didn’t make enough of those plays in space,” Lyons said. “It seemed like we couldn’t find room to make those plays.”

Chris Harlan is a sports reporter for TribLive. He joined the Trib in 2009 after spending seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. Reach him at [email protected].

Tags: Central Valley, Montour