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“We had played fast teams, but we found out what it was like to play a physical team now,” Skidmore said after the Spartans improved to 3-0. “We challenged our young guys to play as tough as what Madison was playing.”
The challenge paid off as the Spartans piled up 198 yards on the ground in the second half, turning a 6-0 halftime lead into a 32-7 win.
“We didn’t lose because we were afraid to hit or made fundamental mistakes,” Madison coach Steve Poff said. “We just came up short against a really good football team. But we knew they were a good football team coming in.”
Valley View used big plays to get on the board, including a 24-yard run by Collin Wood with 4:43 remaining in the third quarter for a 12-0 lead.
Max Shuey went 35 yards for a score on a fourth-and-3 and added a 19-yard scoring run on a third-down play to push the lead to 26-0.
“We felt like we were still in good shape when it was 12-0,” Poff said. “We just kind of ran out of gas, but I am proud of the kids because they fought until the end.”
Madison got on the board when P.J. Schenck caught a 29-yard TD pass from Reid Davis, but the Spartans answered on their next drive on a 49-yard run by Dylan Branham for the final score.
“To do this without all the guys at 100 percent is huge,” Skidmore said. “We had others step up. It is not the guys you heard about all last year. There were a lot of new names.”
As much as the second half belonged to the Spartans, the first half was owned by Madison everywhere but the scoreboard.
The Mohawks churned out nine first downs and 140 yards in the first half, but turned the ball over on downs on the Spartan 13 and the 23.
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Valley View took the 6-0 lead with 2:08 remaining in the half when offensive lineman Adam Valenti fell on a fumble in the end zone as Wood fought to break the plane.
“That was huge for us,” Skidmore said. “If we had gone into half 0-0 with no offense working at all, it would have been a different story.”
Madison held Valley View to one first down and 67 yards in the first half.
“Talent-wise, I think we showed we could hang with them,” Poff said. “We just had to eliminate their big plays, and we did that for awhile.”
Cameron Svarda led Madison with 80 yards on 17 carries, while Tyler Baumgartner had 75 yards on 14 carries. Valley View was led by Shuey with 60 yards on five carries.
Next Friday, the Mohawks will host Preble Shawnee and the Spartans will travel to Dixie.
Valley View 0-6-13-13—32
Madison 0-0-0-7—7
V: Adam Valenti recovered fumble in end zone (Run failed)
V: Collin Wood 24 run (Kick failed)
V: Max Shuey 35 run (Will Harshberger kick)
V: Shuey 19 run (Harshberger kick)
M: P.J. Schenck 29 pass from Reid Davis (Graham Reich kick)
V: Dylan Branham 49 run (Kick failed)
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