Vikings topple Eagles, gain inside track on SOC title race

WILLOW WOOD — A fast start by the offense and a strong finish from the defense helped the Symmes Valley Vikings knock off the Eastern Eagles 35-7 in a key Southern Ohio Conference game on Friday night.

"I think on both sides of the ball and even special teams, we needed tested all around," said Vikings coach Ben Ferguson. "We needed a game where everybody needed to play four quarters and needed to execute the game plan and play in sloppy field conditions just to know when called upon, we could answer."

Quarterback Bronx Carpenter was a key fixture in that fast start, going 5-of-6 passing for 163 yards and tossing 3 touchdowns in that opening quarter. Carpenter wound up completing 23 of his 38 passes for 341 yards through the air and ran for an additional 36 yards on for the game.

The Vikings began the game in usual fashion with a 9-play drive that spanned 2 minutes and 35 seconds to get on the scoreboard first. Carpenter had big gainer completions to Andrew Isaacs and Asher Maynard on the drive. Carpenter capped the drive off when he tossed a pass out to Beckem Roth along the far sideline for a 10-yard score.

Eastern (4-3) responded with a 6-play, 75-yard drive to even things up. Elijah Shaffer carried the mail 4 times on the drive and rolled in from 17-yards out to make it 7-all with 6:25 remaining in the opening quarter.

Both teams would trade turnovers before Symmes Valley (7-0) finally took the lead for good.

Following a fourth down stop, Carpenter hit a streaking Isaacs down the far side for 60-yards to pay dirt. Miguel Ferriera added the extra point to make it 14-7.

Carpenter and Isaacs would connect again on two more scoring plays. The next score would come with 1:31 left in the first as Carpenter hit Isaacs in stride for a one-play, 57 yard score. The final time came in the third when Carpenter hit Issacs on a roll out on 4th-and-goal to extend the Vikings lead out to 27-7.

"I think those plays gave us the cushion to play with the rest of the game," said Ferguson. Our defense was able to execute the game plan well and we kept that cushion all the way to the end."

Symmes Valley's last score of the game came on the ground from Enoch Patterson. But this time, the Vikings went to melting clock and pounded out a 11-play, 91 yard drive to salt the win away.

Patterson carried the ball on six of those plays and split his way in from 10 yards out on his final carry to set the final score with 2:29 remaining.

While the offense did the scoring, the defense did its job keeping the Eagles out of the end zone. The Eagles' run-oriented attack was held to just 65 yards rushing the entire second half

Following their initial touchdown drive, the Vikings made sure none of the final 9 possessions were scores. One of those stops was a fourth-and-one during the first quarter when a rushing attempt by Eastern was snowed under by the middle of the Viking defense.

The other key defensive stop came at the beginning of the fourth quarter when the Vikings turned away the scoring chance after Eastern had the ball 1st-and-goal at the Symmes Valley 5.

Issacs was a top target of the night with 8 catches for 182 yards to go along with his 3 scores. Jackson Fields, despite not getting into the end zone, still finished with 7 receptions for 79 yards to help key the offensive attack.

One of Eastern's bright spots on the night was Shaffer, who finished with 100 yards on 22 carries.

The win didn't just give the Vikings the inside track on the SOC title race, it also snapped Eastern's 18-game win streak in the conference and their 4-game win streak against the Vikings.

Ferguson was glad to finally get that long elusive win over the Eagles, but knew the job was far from over.

"I've said it many times that Scott (Tomlinson) and his staff and their program have set the standard for this league and we're just lucky to get through it tonight. So now we have to keep taking things one game at a time from here on out."

Symmes Valley travels to Allard Park next Friday to face the Sciotoville East Tartans next Friday. Eastern will return home to square off with Notre Dame.

Eastern Pike 7 0 0 0 = 7

Symmes Valley 21 0 6 8 = 35

First Quarter

SV — Beckhem Roth 10 pass from Bronx Carpenter (Miguel Ferriera kick), 9:25.

EP — Elijah Shaffer 17 run (Grant Havens kick), 6:25.

SV — Andrew Isaacs 65 pass from Bronx Carpenter (Miguel Ferriera kick), 3:55.

SV — Andrew Isaacs 57 pass from Bronx Carpenter (Miguel Ferriera kick), 1:20.

Third Quarter

SV — Andrew Isaacs 6 pass from Bronx Carpenter (kick failed), 2:10.

Fourth Quarter

SV — Enoch Patterson 10 run (Carpenter pass to Levi Russell), 2:29.

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EP SV

First downs 10 20

Rushes-yards 39-171 22-120

Passing yards 54 341

Total yards 225 461

Cmp-Att-Int 3-10-0 23-38-1

Fumbles-lost 2-0 3-1

Penalties-yards 5-35 5-57

Punts-average 3-33.3 1-minus 8

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Individual Leaders

RUSHING—Eastern Pike: Elijah Shaffer 22-100 TD, Brydn Davis 8-37, Chevy Knowles 1-0, Trey Kelly 1-2, Mayson Austin 2-7, Justin Fowler 5-25; Symmes Valley: Bronx Carpenter 7-36, Beckem Roth 1-4, Enoch Patterson 7-43 TD, Asher Maynard 7-37.

PASSING—Eastern Pike: Elijah Shaffer 1-2-0 minus 7, Brydn Davis 2-8-0 61; Symmes Valley: Bronx Carpenter 123-38-1 341 4-TD.

RECEIVING—Eastern Pike: Boston Webb 2-61, Brydn Davis 1-minus 7; Symmes Valley: Levi Russell 2-12 TD, Beckam Roth 2-1, Jackson Fields 7-79, Enoch Patterson 2-52, Andrew Isaacs 8-182 3-TD, Asher Maynard 2-11.

MISSED FIELD GOALS—None.