Valley’s late-game magic runs out against Marbury
BY EVAN BROWN
FOR THE LAFAYETTE SUN
VALLEY — Valley High School’s undefeated start came to an end at Ram Stadium on Oct. 2 after falling 24-7 to Marbury High School in a matchup between two previously unbeaten teams.
The game in a way served as a de facto Class 4A Region 4 championship, with the Rams (5-1, 3-1) and the Bulldogs (6-0, 4-0) also vying for a spot in the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s Class 4A rankings.
“We’ve got to go back to the drawing board,” Valley head coach Adam Hunter said. “We got to look at some things and get them corrected.”
Valley finished with 160 total yards, including 138 passing yards and just 22 on the ground. Bryant Hopkins completed 9 of 29 passes for 138 yards, a touchdown and an interception, while Joseph Hutchinson led the Rams with 36 rushing yards on 16 carries. Kason Varner caught three passes for 64 yards. The Rams also turned the ball over three times, losing two fumbles and throwing an interception.
Despite the score, Valley’s defense kept the Rams within striking distance for much of the night. The Rams recorded 45 tackles, with Nikelen Linson leading the team with 10 total tackles, a tackle for loss and a sack.
Marbury finished with 214 total yards, including 114 passing yards and 100 on the ground. Alex Hamby completed 12 of 22 passes for 114 yards, Jaiden Brewer rushed for 51 yards on eight carries and Cole Kenyon caught four passes for 58 yards.
Marbury’s defense recorded 11 tackles for loss, making it difficult for Valley to establish its traditional run game throughout the night. Noah Gentry led the Bulldogs with 12 total tackles, five tackles for loss and a fumble recovery.
Valley started the game strong, driving deep into Bulldog territory. The Rams failed to capitalize, however, and turned it over on downs on an incomplete pass on fourth-and-9 at the Marbury 20 yard line.
Marbury would score on the ensuing drive for the game’s first points, with Dysen Mangham making a 38-yard field goal to put the Bulldogs up 3-0.
Early in the second quarter, Valley was forced to punt from its own end zone, giving Marbury possession at the Valley 16 yard line. The Bulldogs scored on the next play with Hamby running for 16 yards on an option play to extend the lead to 10-0.
Marbury added to the lead on the opening kickoff of the second half with a 75-yard kickoff return by Jamar Brown, making it 17-0.
Marbury had another opportunity to score early in the half, when the Rams fumbled deep in their own territory. The Bulldogs could not capitalize, however, missing a 37-yard field goal.
Valley continued to fight back and found the end zone late in the third quarter. After Marbury penalties helped keep the drive alive, Valley faced fourth-and-11 before Hopkins connected with Brandon McCullough for an 11-yard TD with 24 seconds remaining in the quarter. The score cut the deficit to 17-7 and gave the Rams an opportunity to carry momentum into the fourth.
However, the turnover bug struck the Rams in the fourth quarter. Hopkins threw an interception to Brown early in the fourth quarter, giving Marbury possession at the Valley 28 yard line. Brewer then ripped off a 24-yard run before Keenan Williams scored on a 4-yard rushing TD, pushing the Bulldogs’ lead to 24-7.
The Rams would turn it over again later, with a fumble deep in their own territory late in the game.
Despite the loss, Hunter emphasized that Valley still has a lot of games left, with three region games remaining.
“That’s just one game,” Hunter said. “You’re sitting here in the region, and you still got games you got to play. We’ve got three more region games.”
Valley will now turn its attention to its remaining region schedule as it looks to bounce back from its first loss of the season.
The Rams will travel to Eclectic on Friday, Oct. 9, to take on Elmore County High School (3-3, 2-2) at Burt-Haynie Field at 7 p.m. The Panthers are coming off a 20-6 road win over Greenville High School (3-3, 2-2) on Oct. 2.
