Big fourth quarter propels Perk Valley past Avon Grove

WEST GROVE—For three quarters of play, Perkiomen Valley and Avon Grove were locked up in a tight defensive battle. But the Vikings broke the game open with a huge fourth quarter, notching three touchdowns in the finals stanza pull away with a 29-10 victory over the host Red Devils.

“We made a few mental mistakes late in the game, with a few players on both offense and defense playing on Friday nights for the first time,” said Avon Grove coach Harry O’Neill. “But I’m proud of the effort this team gave us tonight. Perk Valley is a very good football team, and now we have some film against a tough team to see where we need to put in the work.”

The Vikings wasted no time at all getting the first score on the board. Starting their first possession at their own 40, Vikings quarterback Ethan Kohler (7 for 11, 223 yards, 2TD) hit Randy Washington for a 60 yard touchdown, and just like that, it was 7-0.

Avon Grove shook off the early jitters and answered right back with a long scoring drive of their own, marching 59 yards on nine plays before stalling at the Vikings 13. Red Devils kicker Bobby Smith put his team on the board with a 31-yard field goal.

“We actually moved the ball well tonight, especially in the first half,” said O’Neill. “We ran the ball pretty well, and I thought JT McDonald threw the ball well. But we left some points on the field.”

Brayden Basile connected from 38 yards out early in the second period to extend the Vikings lead to 10-3, but that would be the end of the scoring until the fourth period, despite a serious Avon Grove threat just before halftime.

Taking over at their own 37, the Red Devils ran off 16 plays, eating up most of the period in the process. With just over a minute to play in the half, the Devils converted a 4 and 4 from the 13 to set up a first and goal. McDonald and Colby Riddell both took their shots on runs, but the Vikings defense stiffened, and left the Devils a yard short on fourth and goal from the three.

“We knew they were a run-first team and they were just going to try to run it up the gut on us,” said Vikings linebacker Matt Brock. “So we really just try to get downhill and stop the run. We blitzed on one for a stop, and got another stop downhill and just did what we had to do to keep them out of the end zone.”

So instead of heading to the lockerroom tied at 10-10, the Vikings kept their 10-3 lead, and the momentum had clearly shifted.

“That stop really set the tone for our team,” said lineman Jake Sterling. “We came out for the second half still fired up and played that way.”

But still, the Devils hung tough through a scoreless third period. That all changed in the fourth, when Perk Valley scored twice in a little over three minutes of play.

First, Kohler hit Mike Daugherty for 45-yard down the middle to set up a first-and-goal, the ran it in himself from seven. Then moments later, Jacob Sturm (7 carries for 41 yards) broke a tackle and scampered in for a 15-yard TD.

The Devils finally found the end zone when McDonald hit Riddell( 21-54 rushing, 4-30 receiving) for a 16-yard touchdown. But on the first play on the ensuing drive, Kohler hit Washington (2-112, 2TD) on a 52-yarder.

Perkiomen Valley 29 Avon Grove 10

Perk Valley 7 3 0 19–29
Avon Grove 3 0 0 7–10

1st PV–Washington 60 pass from Kohler (Basile kick) 7-0
1st AG–Smith 31-yard FG 7-3
2nd PV–Basile 38-yard FG 10-3
4th PV Kohler 7-run, (Basile Kick) 17-3
4th PV Sturm 15-run (kick failed) 23-3
4th AG Riddell 16-pass from McDonald (Smith kick) 23-10
4th PV Washington 52-pass from Kohler (kick failed)

Team Statistics

PV AG
12 first downs 11
26-180 rushes- yds 36-102
223 passing yards 94
403 total yards 196
7-11-0 comp-att-int 13-22-0
2-29 punts/avg 4-36.5
2-0 fumbles/lost 1-0
5-40 penalties/yds 5-35

Individual Statistics

Passing–PV Kohler 7-223, 2TD, AG McDonald 13-22, 94

Rushing–PV Moccia 6-62, Kohler 9-48, TD, Strum 7-41, TD, Posner 1-14, Washington 1-3, Thompson 2-12 AG Riddell 21-54, McDonald 7-25, Glatts 8-43

Receiving–PV Washington 2-112, 2TD, Moccia 2-49, Daugherty 1-45, AG Riddell 4-30, 2TD , Jones 4-35, Hershey 1-9, Reuter 1-10, Kirby 2-10

Sacks–PV Shayer