Valley View clips JV Rams, continues streak
September 26, 2005

By David Grim
NEARsports.com

PARAGOULD - The Valley View Blazers extended their winning streak to five games, handling the junior varsity Paragould Rams 10-6 at Ram Stadium Monday night.

The Blazers (5-1) scored the only points of the first half when Austin Byrd kicked a 28-yard field goal late in the first quarter.

The score remained 3-0 until the fourth quarter. That's when Kevin Burgi hit Blake Kennedy with a 9-yard touchdown pass. Byrd's extra point made the score 10-0 with 6:59 left in the game.

The Rams (1-2) attempted to rally as the game neared its end. Christian Moore sprinted 54 yards down to the Valley View 4-yard line, and Andrew Weaver poked it in for the Rams on the next play. Valley View's Josh Snow blocked the extra point, and the Blazers led 10-6 with 2:45 left to play.

The Rams tried to keep the rally alive on the ensuing kickoff by attempting an on-side kick, but the ball failed to travel the required 10 yards. Valley View preserved the win.

"This is typical of what we have been doing all year," said Valley View Coach Randy Coleman. "We have opportunities to score in the first half and we don't do it."

"If we want to compete in the conference we are going to be in next year," continued Coleman, "then we have to score on every opportunity. We're going to have to work on this. It's still good to win, though."

Burgi led the Valley View running game with 74 yards on 10 carries.

The Blazers travel across town to play Nettleton next Monday night. Valley View won the previous meeting last week, 20-8.

Blazers win fourth straight
September 19, 2005

By David Grim
NEARsports.com

JONESBORO - The Valley View Blazers capitalized on turnovers and methodically controlled the junior varsity Nettleton Raiders Monday night, only allowing one touchdown in the closing seconds and winning the game 20-8. The victory marked the fourth straight for the Blazers.

Valley View (4-1) scored its first touchdown with 3:34 remaining in the half. Adam Cloinger recovered a Nettleton fumble at the Raider 7-yard line. Three plays later, Austin Byrd scored on a 3-yard run and then kicked the extra point to give the Blazers a 7-0 halftime lead.

Another Blazer fumble recovery, this time by Chase Cooper, started the next Valley View scoring drive. Quarterback Kevin Burgi capped an 8 play, 46 yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run with 1:39 left in the third quarter. The extra point was mishandled, and the score remained 13-0.

Late in the game, Nettleton (0-2) turned the ball over on downs at the Valley View 4-yard line. The Blazers went 96 yards in only 8 plays and finished the drive with a 55 yard touchdown sprint by Iain Bailey. Byrd's kick made the score 20-0 with 1:39 left to play.

The Raiders averted the shutout when Josh Wiley passed a 50 yard touchdown to Matt Akers with 54 seconds remaining in the game. Akers ran in the two-point conversion to set the final score.

"We're getting better," said Valley View Coach Randy Coleman. "Win or lose, it's good for us to play good schools like Nettleton. It helps us get better. And it's good to win those games.

Valley View travels to Paragould next Monday to face the junior varsity Rams.

Valley View blanks JV Mustangs, 13-0
September 12, 2005

By David Grim
NEARsports.com

JONESBORO - Kevin Burgi completed 6 of 10 passes for 91 yards as the Valley View Blazers shutout Hoxie's junior varsity Mustangs, 13-0. The victory marked the third consecutive win for the budding program.

Valley View's Kevi Burgi (6) lets go of a pass as Hoxie's Bradley Williams (55) closes in. The Blazers shutout the JV Mustangs, 13-0. Photo courtesy of Donya Soden, 09/12/05

The Blazers (3-1) split their running game up between four players, gaining 133 yards. Austin Byrd led the way with 46 yards on six carries.

Bret Gschwend scored the first Valley View touchdown on a 15-yard run with 3:40 left before halftime. Byrd kicked the extra point to make the score 7-0.

Hoxie JV running back Chris Troutman (19) takes a handoff from quarterback Houston Hancock (8) in the Mustangs' 13-0 loss to Valley View. Photo courtesy of Donya Soden, 09/12/05

The Blazers' final touchdown came early in the third quarter. Burgi hit Chase Cooper with a 43-yard touchdown pass. The PAT was blocked, setting what would be the final score.

"I'm happy with the win," said Valley View Coach Randy Coleman. "There are a bunch of little things we need to work on to get better. We had three different chances to score in the first half and only scored on one of them. These are things we'll work on, but I don't care if it's chess or checkers, I want to win. I'm glad we did."

Alex Ward led all ball carriers, gaining 127 yards on 16 carries for Hoxie (0-1).

Valley View quarterback Kevin Burgi (6) directs his troops in the Blazers' 13-0 win over Hoxie's JV squad. Photo courtesy of Donya Soden, 09/12/05

Valley View braves weather, pounds Southside 42-0
August 29, 2005

By David Grim
NEARsports.com

JONESBORO - With the outer band of Hurricane Katrina drenching Blazer Stadium, Valley View displayed a complete role reversal from last week's loss and downed the Batesville Southside Southerners 42-0.

"You have to admire these fans," said Valley View head coach Randy Coleman. "They came out in this weather and we fed off of their enthusiasm. I didn't expect it to be a big crowd."

The Blazers (1-1) held the Southerners (0-1) to a three-and-out possession to begin the game. Valley View took over on its own 37-yard line and drove 63 yards in just 5 plays. Bret Gschwend capped the drive with a 16 yard touchdown run. Austin Byrd kicked the extra point to make the score 7-0 with just under four minutes gone from the clock.

A Southside fumble recovered by Valley View's Cody Prater gave the ball to the Blazers for their next scoring drive. Eight plays and 58 yards later, Blazer quarterback Kevin Burgi called his own number for the next Valley View touchdown, a five yard keeper with 5:12 left in the half. Byrd's kick set the halftime score at 14-0.

Valley View got the ball to start the second half. Jacob Ashburn's 19 yard kickoff return allowed the Blazers to start the drive at their own 43. The drive covered 57 yards in 9 plays and ended with another quarterback keeper from Burgi. After his 4 yard touchdown, Gschwend added the two-point conversion to make the score 22-0 with 5:41 left in the third quarter.

Another Southside fumble, recovered by Valley View's Chase Cooper, gave the Blazers the ball on the Southerners' 21-yard line. Byrd took it in from there on the next play. The two point try failed, and Valley View led 28-0.

The Southerners were forced to punt late in the third quarter from deep in their own territory. Ian Bailey fielded the punt at the Southside 35-yard line and returned it for a Blazer touchdown with 45 seconds left in the third quarter. Burgi's two-point conversion made the score 36-0 and put the "mercy rule" in effect for the final period.

Ashburn went in the game as quarterback for the Blazers in the fourth quarter. He scored Valley View's final touchdown from four yards out with 6:13 left in the game.

"Last week," said Coleman, "bad things happened to us at the start of the game and we got down emotionally and never recovered. This week, the reverse happened, we had good things happen early and we fed off of that emotionally. We were intimidated last week. This week I think we intimidated them."

Ashburn led Valley View's rushing game with 101 yards on 7 carries. Gschwend added 93 yards on 14 carries. He also caught two passes for another 29 yards.

Batesville Southside will take Labor Day off and travel to Cave City on Monday, September 12. Valley View will face the Cavemen a week earlier, next Monday night.

Bobcats give Blazers rude welcome to high school football
August 23, 2005

By David Grim
NEARsports.com

JONESBORO - The Valley View Blazers fielded a high school football team for the first time ever Tuesday night in a scrimmage at Arkansas State University. Unfortunately for the Blazers, the outcome was not quite what they had hoped for as their young junior varsity squad was upended by the Walnut Ridge Bobcats, 44-0.

The scoring started immediately for the Bobcats, who went winless last season with a record of 0-8. Walnut Ridge started its opening drive from midfield and went 50 yards in just five plays. Matt Brown capped the drive with an eight-yard touchdown run. Seth Chamblee caught the two-point conversion pass from Ryan Weir, and the Bobcats were on the board, 8-0, with 7:53 remaining in the opening quarter.

The Blazers were forced to punt on their first possession, but a mishandled snap gave the ball to Walnut Ridge on the Valley View two-yard line. Brown promptly turned the mistake into six more points for the Bobcats with 6:16 left in the first quarter. The conversion try failed, and Walnut Ridge led 14-0.

Brown was everywhere for the Bobcats, recovering a Blazer fumble on the Valley View 16 to set up the next Walnut Ridge touchdown. Three plays later, with 4:37 still on the clock in the opening stanza, Logan Morse ran in from the five-yard line. On the two-point try, Cory Sellers fell on a Bobcat fumble in the end zone to secure the two points and give Walnut Ridge a 22-0 lead.

Adam Hufstedler (12) folows the blocking of teammate Andrew Gean (64) in Walnut Ridge's 44-0 preseason victory over Valley View. Photo courtesy of Ric Keefer, Keefer's Photography 08/23/05

On the first play of the second quarter, Weir helped the Bobcats capitalize on another Blazer fumble and ran in from six yards out on a quarterback keeper. A five-yard motion penalty put the two-point try on the eight-yard line, but it was no problem for Adam Hustedler who made the score 30-0.

The Bobcats found the end-zone one more time before intermission. Morse scored on an 11 yard scamper with 1:05 left in the half, and Weir found Chamblee for another two points to set the halftime score at 38-0.

The second half began with the "mercy rule" in effect. Valley View finally began to move the ball, starting its opening possession on its own 35 and driving 30 yards before being stopped on fourth and six from the Bobcat 35.

The Bobcats scored their final touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter. Tyler Meadors sprinted in from 29 yards out to set the final score.

Valley View's Austin Byrd looks for yardage in the Blazers' 44-0 preseason defeat to Walnut Ridge. Photo courtesy of Ric Keefer, Keefer's Photography 08/23/05

The Blazers threatened to score late in the game. Valley View began its final possession on its own 25 yard line and drove 46 yards in 10 plays. The drive ended when Cory Evans intercepted an errant Blazer pass to preserve the shutout.

"This was a good conditioner for us," said Walnut Ridge first-year head coach Larry Treadway. "It gave us at good look at our kids. Now we'll go back and condition some more and try and get better."

Walnut Ridge will open its season on Friday, September 2, at home against its neighbor and rival, the Hoxie Mustangs. Valley View will host the newly formed Batesville Southside Southerners on Monday. Both teams are playing a full season of junior varsity football before beginning varsity play next season.