Twin Valley South defeated rival Tri-County North 34-27 on Friday, Oct. 25 to keep the traveling Panther trophy.
Eddie Mowen Jr. | The Register-Herald
Eddie Mowen Jr. | The Register-Herald
Eddie Mowen Jr. | The Register-Herald
Eddie Mowen Jr. | The Register-Herald
Eddie Mowen Jr. | The Register-Herald
Eddie Mowen Jr. | The Register-Herald
Eddie Mowen Jr. | The Register-Herald
Eddie Mowen Jr. | The Register-Herald
Eddie Mowen Jr. | The Register-Herald
Eddie Mowen Jr. | The Register-Herald
Eddie Mowen Jr. | The Register-Herald
Eddie Mowen Jr. | The Register-Herald
Eddie Mowen Jr. | The Register-Herald
Eddie Mowen Jr. | The Register-Herald
Eddie Mowen Jr. | The Register-Herald
Eddie Mowen Jr. | The Register-Herald
Eddie Mowen Jr. | The Register-Herald
Eddie Mowen Jr. | The Register-Herald
WEST ALEXANDRIA — When Tri-County North visited rival Twin Valley South on Friday, Oct. 25, the last regular season football game of the season, there was no league title on the line.
However, a spot in the Division VII playoffs and bragging rights were still up for grabs.
South entered having won three in a row and four of five, while North had lost four of its last five.
None of that mattered as the two teams, who have been battling low roster numbers all season, slugged it out until South took a knee in the final seconds to hold on for a 34-27 win.
The win was South’s fourth straight in the rivalry game, which kept the traveling Panther trophy in West Alexandria.
“The senior class is really happy, because some of them have brothers that were in last year’s senior class, and they wanted to outdo their brothers,” South coach Brian Butts said. “Well, they’ve got that trophy four years in a row, so they’re excited about that, and they’re going to go celebrate.”
After starting the season 0-4, South wrapped up the regular season at 5-5 overall and 5-4 in the Western Ohio Athletic Conference.
“I can’t complain about our effort and attitude. I’m proud of the kids,” Butts said. “They got to 5-5. People in this community and everywhere else expected us to be two and something, one and something. They thought a couple games we might win, and we found ways to grind it out and make things happen. So, I’m extremely proud of this group.”
South scored two touchdowns in the first quarter for a 14-0 lead and looked ready to make the game a blowout after taking a 27-7 lead with 9:30 remaining in the third quarter after Mason Crews returned a punt 62 yards for a touchdown.
South still led 34-13 with 1:26 left in the third.
But North had other plans.
Franklin Filbrun scored on a 15-yard run with 1:06 left in the third.
North got within 34-27 on a Peyton Fannin 4-yard TD run with 7:21 left in the game.
The comeback was nearly complete when North attempted to pick up a South fumble with just over four minutes left, but South was able to recover.
Butts said he thought his team had a chance to be good, but a variety of factors left his team low on numbers. They dressed just 18 for the final game.
“We thought in the summer that we were going to have a pretty good football team, and unfortunately, injuries, and some people that we just had to tell them that they didn’t need to be with us, and a couple people that told us they didn’t want to be with us,” Butts said. “We basically are 10 down on starting positions from what we thought was our football team on August 1st so some of that is injuries. We’ve had some broken hands, broken legs, different things, and those guys that never made it back, so it shows up in the fourth quarter. We just don’t have any depth. We had 18 dress tonight. And four of those are freshmen that aren’t ready for varsity game safety wise and everything else. They play a little bit but it’s the same 15 kids playing every snap over the last 10 games. And they showed fatigue for the first time, real bad last week and this week in the third and fourth quarters. So, I’m really proud of them. To dig in, find a way, strip the ball, get a big play when we need it.”
For North coach Steve Boozier, he was proud of his team’s effort.
“We spotted them 14, got beat by seven,” Boozier said. “Kids could have caved in because we were down 14. They (South) were still kind of getting the best of us, and then we started fighting back and I think we were down at three touchdowns at one time. We fought back and we’re one fumble recovery away down there (from tying the game), and I can’t fault the kids for trying to pick it up and scoop and score. I mean, fundamentally you should fall on it, but they’re in the emotion of the game, and we’re making a great comeback. And if we scoop that thing up and score, then it is the greatest play ever.”
Boozier said it was a good game despite the struggles for both teams this season.
“I thought it was a hard-fought game. I thought it was a clean game. Both teams have struggled this year, but I think we showed that we improved as the season went on,” Boozier said, “We both fought injuries all year and we both fought low numbers. I don’t fault the kids. They played their tails off, great effort. Could have quit when we were down 14. Could have quit when we were down 20, and they didn’t. The kids gave it everything they had. We’re proud of them for that.”
Boozier, who is in his second stint at North, said the rivalry between the schools hasn’t changed.
“I told the kids, and I’m sure the South coaches feel the same way,” he said. “We’re fortunate. At a lot of schools, if you survey 100 people and say who’s your rival, there might be five or 10 different answers, but in Lewisburg and West Alex, there’s one answer.”
It’s North versus South. Or South versus North.
Reach Eddie Mowen Jr. at 937-683-4061 and follow on X @emowenjr.
