Mayoros supplies a little magic for Sun Valley

ASTON — It was apparent early in the game between Penncrest and Sun Valley that it was going to be a battle.

With both teams fighting the heat and a general lack of precision, the contest was always likely going to come down to who could make a big play when needed.

For Sun Valley, it was versatile receiver Kevin Mayoros, who hauled in a pass from quarterback Steve Eskridge and willed his way to a 37-yard touchdown.

It was the drive and desire of Mayoros that was a defining trait for the Vanguards squad overall on the night – even if Mayoros did not want to elaborate on his own personal effort.

“The whole team was ready to go, everyone was hitting their blocks, and everyone was playing together,” said Mayoros, who finished with two catches for 41 yards while also tacking on nine rushing yards. “We’ve been working so hard every single day. I felt like we deserved this.”

For Sun Valley head coach Ernie Ellis, a victory in his first game at the helm was awesome.

“That’s what it’s all about,” Ellis said. “We’re trying to teach these kids that they have to compete. In the past, if things didn’t go our way, we hung our heads and for lack of a better word, gave up. The way we won tonight makes it all that much more sweet. They rose to the occasion.”

It did not always look like the game would shift the Vanguards’ way, however. Penncrest, while scuffling at times, entered halftime with a 3-0 lead and looked to have things somewhat under control.

Penncrest kicker Gavin Wray boomed a 27-yard field goal to give the Lions a 3-0 lead in the first quarter and the duo of Nick Chelo (65 yards rushing, 85 yards passing) and Jimmy Cage (four catches, 65 yards, touchdown) gave Sun Valley fits at times. Cage was an absolute handful at wide receiver for the Lions.

The Vanguards, though, proved their mettle. Running back Todd Harper racked up 112 yards on 17 carries and helped open things up for Andrew Kmett, who gave Sun Valley a temporary 6-3 early in the second half with a three-yard scoring run.

After Cage answered with his touchdown, Sun Valley relied on some “Mayoros magic” in the fourth quarter to re-gain a lead it would not lose.

For the Lions, the game was disappointing. A lack of execution and what looked to be weary legs played a role in the squad wearing down. Penncrest coach Ryan Smith saw some positive moments from his team, but not enough sustained consistency to push them over the top against Sun Valley.

“We need to be competitive when things get hard,” said Smith. “We didn’t execute at times when we needed to execute. There were positives, but we have to learn from our mistakes. When you’re putting together a drive, you can’t afford to go backwards. Those things won’t help you win a football game. We didn’t finish at times when we needed to finish.”