Williams Valley rolls past Tri-Valley
Tri-Valley's Max Masser (5) is hemmed in by Williams Valley's Kian Krzyzanowski (10), Peyton Adams (42) and Fletcher Thompson (27) as he returns the opening kickoff. Masser fumbled on the play, setting Williams Valley up to score the game's first touchdown. (Photo by Charlie Roth)
WILLIAMSTOWN — And then there were two.
With a 42-7 dismantling of West End rival Tri-Valley on Friday night at Gerry Stauffenberg Field at Viking Stadium, Williams Valley joined Schuylkill Haven as the only two remaining unbeaten teams in Schuylkill/Colonial Blue Division play.
The Vikings (5-0, 4-0 Blue) and Hurricanes (4-1, 4-0 Blue), coming off a wild 72-52 Thursday night victory over Minersville, will meet next Friday on Haven’s home turf.
In Friday’s victory over Tri-Valley (3-2, 2-2 Blue), Williams Valley, despite clinging to only a one-touchdown lead at the halftime break, had every aspect of its game working.
When the Vikings went to the air, quarterback Brady Shomper connected on 9-of-16 passes for 224 yards, including touchdowns of 16 and 59 yards to wideout Kian Krzyzanowski, and 74 yards to wideout Evan Achenbach.
When they stayed on the ground, Shomper carried 17 times for 122 yards and two scores, freshman running back Fletcher Thompson picked up 86 tough yards on 15 carries, and sophomore Trevon Bair had a touchdown and 24 yards on just three carries.
The majority of that came in the second half, after only leading 14-7 at the break.
“We moved the ball well in the first half, but we just kind of stung ourselves there a couple times,” Williams Valley head coach Stephen Sedesse said. “We had some penalties there that hurt.
“It’s one of those things, if we can control our own game, not turn it over, not get the penalties, we always have a good chance to win. We stayed composed and we came out and played good football.”
Once they got rolling, there was no stopping the Vikes in a game during which their defensive unit gave up very little.
For the night, the Tri-Valley offense managed just 186 total yards and nine first downs. Compare that to the 470 totals yards and 21 first downs put up by Williams Valley.
Krzyzanowski may have been the biggest part of that Vikings’ offensive show. On the night, he hauled in six Shomper passes for 133 yards and the two touchdowns. The first had the Vikes up 14-0 in the first quarter, while the second pushed their advantage to 28-7 late in the third quarter.
“It was a great game,” Krzyzanowski said. “We knew we could come out and throw the ball on them, and that’s what we did.
“Brady was throwing great balls all night and we just connected.”
With talent all over the field, Sedesse looks to Krzyzanowski as his go-to player to make the big plays.
“You know, he’s a big player,” Sedesse said. “He makes all the plays we ask of him.
“It’s one of those things, he’s working so hard, some of our other receivers are starting to get open.”
Shomper, in his second season as the Vikings’ starting quarterback knows what Krzyzanowski brings to the field.
“He’s open all over the field all the time, so I know he’s out there,” Shomper said.
Tri-Valley’s only touchdown on the night came with less than a minute remaining in the first quarter on a 10-yard run by Cole Gemberling. It followed a 44-yard pass connection between quarterback Blake Schwartz and Gemberling that put the Dawgs in scoring position.
On the final play of the first half, the Dawgs lined up for a 41-yard field goal attempt by Nate Hillard. That attempt was blocked, ending the threat and the half.
Sole possession of first place in the division will be on the line when Williams Valley travels to Schuylkill Haven next week.
“Everybody asked me if we were at that game last night,” said Sedesse of the Haven-Minersville shootout. “I said, ‘No, we’ll get it on film.’ “
“Hopefully we can put a damper on their running game. You’re not going to stop it, but if we can dampen it a little bit, that’s our hope.”
