Valley View's offense clicks in second half on its way to win over Scranton
Published: November 7, 2009
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butch comegys / staff photographer Scranton running back Mike Marichak is stacked up by Valley View defenders Kelly Swift, top, and Christopher Cicilioni during Friday night's game at Scranton Memorial Stadium.
butch comegys / staff photographer Valley View wide receiver Brian Kubilus celebrates his 52-yard touchdown catch from quarterback Shane Gensiak on the first play of the fourth quarter during Friday night's 21-8 victory over Scranton.
| Friday, November 6, 2009 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valley View | 0 | 6 | 8 | 7 | - | 21 |
| Scranton | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | - | 8 |
In a game which started off as a defensive battle between Valley View and Scranton, it quickly turned into an offensive onslaught by the Cougars, who cruised to a 21-8 victory Friday Night at Scranton Memorial Stadium. The first half was dominated by strong defensive play from both teams, which held the opposing offenses scoreless for the majority of the half.
The Knights' offense looked strong early on, driving deep into Cougars' territory on its first two possessions, but they couldn't convert either drives into points, something coach Mike Marichak knew his team would have to do to defeat the Cougars.
"We had our chances tonight, but we couldn't put it in when we were close," Marichak said. "We just didn't make the right reads or the right calls within the 20 and against a team like Valley View you have to capitalize when you get those opportunities."
After Scranton turned the ball over on downs at the Cougars 12-yard line, the Valley View offense came out firing.
With 2:39 remaining in the second quarter, the Cougars went on a 7-play, 88-yard drive that resulted in a 15-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Shane Gensiak to Brian Lalli. The drive was highlighted by a 51-yard pass from Gensiak to Brian Kubilus, which put the Cougars inside the Knights' 30-yard line.
From there, the Cougars were able to carry their momentum into the second half. On the shoulders of running back Patrick Jeffers, the Cougars took their opening possession 65-yards on 4-plays capped by a 1-yard sneak from Gensiak. On the drive Jeffers carried three times totaling 64 yards including a 45-yard rush off the left tackle.
"We wanted to come out and play more physical in the second half," Jeffers said. "The line did great. They came out and opened big holes for me on that drive, especially on the big run. I just tried to be patient and follow their blocking."
Jeffers finished the game with 163 yards on 22 carries and allowed the Cougars to dominate the second half.
Valley View extended its lead to 21-0, following a Scranton turnover late in the third quarter. The Cougars went on a 4-play, 67-yard drive capped by a 52-yard strike from Gensiak to Kubilus.
Scranton had more opportunities in the second half, but again failed to turn its long drives into points,
"We were moving the ball effectively between the 20s all game," Marichak said. "But once we got inside the 20, we looked like a completely different team. The guys played hard all night but give credit to Valley View."
The Knights did score a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, following a 9-play, 66-yard drive that resulted in a 3-yard touchdown run from Eric Pabst. The touchdown brought the Knights within 13 points, but that is as close as they would get.
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