Hutchinson, defense power Valley to first region win
BY DANIEL SCHMIDT
THE LAFAYETTE SUN
VALLEY — If the hype train began last week with a 42-12 season-opener win, it only gained momentum after Valley High School smothered Charles Henderson High School 31-14 at Ram Stadium on Sept. 4.
The Rams (2-0, 1-0) opened Class 4A Region 4 play with a bang. The Trojans (1-1, 0-1) had no answer for Valley’s rushing attack or a swarming defense that didn’t surrender its first points until the end of the third quarter.
Joseph Hutchinson shouldered the load offensively for the Rams by rushing 29 times for 215 yards and a touchdown, while Mason Yarbrough added 41 yards and two TDs on five carries and Emori Edge finished with eight total tackles and an interception.
Following another complete, mature performance by his team, Valley head coach Adam Hunter said his senior leaders have taken it upon themselves to ensure the Rams don’t take their foot off the gas.
“When you wake up on Saturday morning, and you’ve got a win for these kids, that’s great and what it’s all about,” Hunter said. “We talk about the trajectory we’re on and how each week we want to go up. We don’t want to level off or go down. We preach it and the seniors preach it, and that’s the main thing.”
The emerging two-headed monster of Hutchinson and Yarbrough got going early and never let up.
On the game’s third overall drive, Hutchinson quickly moved the ball with runs of 25, 13 and 16 yards before Yarbrough ended the possession with a bruising 17-yard TD run off left tackle.
With Valley up 7-0 with 6:13 left in the first quarter, the Rams’ defense went to work. While the offense fumbled the ball on its third drive, the defense smothered Charles Henderson, allowing only one unsuccessful field goal attempt before halftime.
Not long after a 29-yard field goal by Jose Diaz near the halfway point of the second quarter, the Rams and the Trojans traded back-to-back interceptions deep in Charles Henderson territory.
Valley ultimately got the better end of the deal, with Brandon McCullough returning his pick down to the Charles Henderson 5 yard line.
From there, it took the Rams just two plays to punch it in. That responsibility again fell to Yarbrough, who punched it in from the 1 yard line to put Valley up 17-0 with 1:08 left before halftime.
Coming out of the locker room, the Rams’ defense again stood strong and gave the offense the ball back less than three minutes into the third quarter.
After starting the drive at its own 41 yard line, Valley quickly extended its lead after Hutchinson ripped off a 33-yard TD run. That put the Rams up 24-0 with 6:29 left in the third quarter.
By that point in the game, it was apparent Valley’s game plan was a steady dose of Hutchinson, who credited his dominant performance to the offensive line.
“They were great and protected me the way they were supposed to. They didn’t let me get hit too much,” Hutchinson said.
The Rams extended their lead five minutes later after Edge joined running mate McCullough with an interception of his. Having gained possession of the ball at the Charles Henderson 28 yard line, Bryant Hopkins connected with Trayvion Flournoy on a gorgeous 27-yard TD pass two plays later.
Even down 31-0 with 1:14 left to play in the third, the Trojans refused to lie down.
Charles Henderson scored a lightning-quick TD as time expired in the third quarter after Kellen Stewart scored on a 13-yard TD run. An onside kick recovery — which brought out an explosive reaction from Hunter — on the ensuing kickoff then gave the Trojans a second bite at the apple.
Down 31-6 after the two-point conversion attempt failed, Charles Henderson made the most of their good fortune on another quick TD drive, which was capped off by Joshaun Daniel’s 24-yard run and Payton Bean’s two-point conversion catch.
“You take those two drives away and the defense played superb, and they still played good,” Hunter said. “That’s a good offensive team, and that quarterback’s a veteran kid. He throws the ball and reads defenses well, and does a great job. So for our defense to only give up 80 yards in the first half, that’s big.”
With the game already effectively decided, the Rams ended any possibility for the Trojans to add any points to the board.
After gaining possession with 10:13 remaining in the game, Valley embarked on a 19-play, 49-yard drive that consumed the remaining game clock.
The Rams will travel to face region opponent Greenville High School at Tiger Stadium on Friday, Sept. 11, at 7 p.m. The Tigers (2-1, 1-0) are coming off a 35-0 road region win over Beauregard High School (0-3, 0-1).
