The Tri-Valley defense gets set during a game at Marian. Shown are, from left: Trey Porter, Donovan Keeth, Lucas Schwartz, Cayne Schadel and Max Masser (Photo by Leroy Boyer).

HEGINS — There was a time when the Shenandoah Valley vs. Tri-Valley matchup was met with intense anticipation.

Tri-Valley coach Jeff Sampson remembers that it wasn’t that long ago when a regular-season meeting with the Blue Devils was considered the marquee matchup of the week, usually with district playoff seeding hanging in the balance.

But times have changed for the Shenandoah Valley football program as this year’s matchup between the two schools featured a Blue Devil side that had just 16 players dressed because of injuries out of a 28-player roster.

Tri-Valley naturally took advantage with its much deeper roster and proceeded to dominate the first half on the way to a 53-8 rout over the Blue Devils in a Schuylkill-Colonial Blue Division game on Friday night at Bulldog Stadium.

“They had a bunch of players in street clothes with injuries,” Sampson said. “Our defense played well again. In some respects, the win was too easy. But we have three games left and they mean something when it comes to districts.”

The rout was on for the Bulldogs in their homecoming game after forcing the Blue Devils to punt after the opening kickoff. Doyle Flory took it from there as he returned the punt 56 yards down the sideline, then cut across the middle for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead with 10:13 left in the first quarter.

Tri-Valley’s next possession went just as easily as quarterback Trey Porter kept the ball and ran 61 yards for a touchdown and a 14-0 lead with 7:46 left in the first quarter.

The Bulldogs finished the frame with two more scores to make it 28-0 on a 12-yard touchdown run by Cole Gemberling and a 9-yard pass from Porter to Lucas Schwartz.

Tri-Valley, which produced 281 yards of total offense, kept pouring it on in the second quarter with three more touchdowns that featured a 1-yard scoring run by Gemberling, a 25-yard interception return by Porter and a 13-yard TD run by Jimmy Fetterhoff.

The Bulldogs substituted freely and featured backup players in the second half. They also excelled as Brody Lesher took over in the backfield and led his team with 64 yards rushing.

Shenandoah Valley got on the scoreboard in the third quarter on a 5-yard scoring run by Dylan Getz and a two-point conversion pass from Getz to Ethan Bench that cut the Bulldogs’ lead to 50-8.

Tri-Valley tallied one more score before the final whistle on a 36-yard field goal by Nathan Hillard.

Game Summary

Tri-Valley 53, Shenandoah Valley 8

SV (0-7, 0-6)         0          0          8          0  —    8

TV (5-2. 4-2)        28        22          0         3  —    53

TV — Flory 56 punt return (Hillard kick)

TV — Porter 61 run (Hillard kick)

TV — Gemberling 12 run (Hillard kick)

TV — Schwartz 9 pass from Porter (Hillard kick)

TV — Gemberling 1 run (Hillard kick)

TV — Porter 25 interception return (Hillard kick)

TV — Fetterhoff 12 run (L. Schwartz pass from Porter)

SV — Getz 3 run (Bench pass from Getz)

TV — FG Hillard 36

Team Statistics

SV-TV

First Downs —- 1      12

Rushes-Yards — 23-9      26-209

Passes —- 2-8-2      5-5-0

Passing Yards —- 5      72

Total Yards —- 14      281

Fumbles/Lost —- 2-0      0-0

Penalties — 1-5      1-5

Individual Statistics