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LUCASVILLE — After forcing a turnover with a two-score lead early in the fourth quarter, Portsmouth thought it had a win in the bag on Thursday night.
But just when it seemed like the Trojans were set to cruise to the finish line, Valley turned the tables.
Despite holding a 15-3 lead with 11:03 left, Portsmouth would have to rely on its defense to finish the job — which is exactly what the unit did.
Valley found itself with a chance to send the game into overtime. But the Trojans’ defense stood its ground on the final possession of the night, sealing a 15-12 season-opening victory.
CREDIT: Erica Fike/SOSA
“This was definitely one of the hardest 1-0’s to start off the season with. [Valley] is one of, if not the, most improved team in the area,” Portsmouth head coach Bruce Kalb said. “I had a sneaky suspicion after halftime that [Valley] would come alive. I thought it would go down to the wire, and it certainly did.”
Portsmouth (1-0) started the night by forcing a quick three-and-out.
And, although the Indians made Portsmouth work to move the ball, the Trojans drew first blood on its first drive.
Moving into enemy territory, they set up Chase Heiland to carry the rock from 23 yards out to put his team on the board first. The ensuing two-point try was successful when Cam Williams connected with Trevon Brooks to make it an 8-0 tally with 3:37 remaining in the first quarter — a lead that stood until the end of the frame.
The Indians (0-1) marched into the red zone and had a chance to punch in a score at the start of the second, facing a 3rd and goal from the six-yard line. But Portsmouth was able to hold Valley out of the end zone and forced a Jaylen Bender field goal from 23 yards out, which cut the deficit to 8-3.
Throughout the rest of the first half, the two teams exchanged possessions. Portsmouth had a chance to score near the end of the second quarter but that was shut down quickly when Valley’s Zach Witt intercepted a Trojan pass with 21 seconds left, keeping the score at 8-3 going into the break.
“We left one on the table at the end of the first half. We often talk about how we want to end the half and how we want to begin the half,” Coach Kalb said. “We got down in the red zone and shot ourselves in the foot. It’s Week 1, so you’re going to have those hiccups. That’s why we play the game. The goal is to get better between now and next week.”
Neither side was able to create any separation in the early stages of the second half.
That is, until the Trojans turned to Chase Heiland again.
Portsmouth embarked on a drive from its own 17-yard line with 3:58 left in the third. Running the ball on every play, the Trojans drained the clock and moved into Indian territory, setting up Heiland to carry the rock into the end zone from 17 yards out with just three seconds remaining — his second of the night.
Malachi Loper then connected on the PAT, giving Portsmouth a 15-3 lead going into the final 12 minutes.
“[The offensive line] doesn’t get enough credit,” Heiland said. “They work every single day, and my success is only because of them. I knew at the end of the day that by just running behind them, we would get the job done.”
But even when it looked like Portsmouth had a chance to put Valley away early, the job was far from finished.
The Trojans quickly got possession back less than a minute into the fourth when Kayleb Johnson picked off a pass and set his offense up near midfield with 11:03 to go.
With their backs against the wall, Valley’s defense held its ground, forcing a turnover on downs and denying Portsmouth a chance to capitalize.
The Indians quickly took advantage on offense, finally reaching the end zone thanks to Anthony Aaron bringing it in from 11 yards out. The score cut the deficit to 15-10 with 6:10 left.
On the first play of the ensuing Trojan drive, Valley’s Tyler Carver jumped on a fumble and recovered it at Portsmouth’s 46-yard line with 5:57 to play.
The Indians tried to take advantage of their opponent’s mistake yet again, but this time, Portsmouth got a much needed stop as Fernando Poxes broke up a pass from the eight-yard line, giving his team the ball back with 3:20 to work with.
Still, the Indians wouldn’t go down quietly.
After a holding penalty kept Portsmouth backed inside its own 10-yard line, the Trojans elected to take a safety on 4th down. JT Williams took a sack in the end zone, making it a 15-12 ball game with 1:36 to play.
Valley made Portsmouth pay for that decision as Aiden Waughtel took the following kickoff all the way to the Trojans’ 15-yard line, setting the Indians up in perfect position to tie the game or take the lead.
But Portsmouth’s defense needed one final stand to keep that from happening, and they got it in dramatic fashion.
The Trojans forced Valley backwards on the first three plays of the drive, including a Kingston Littlefield sack that forced a 3rd and 22. After losing another two yards on the following play, the Indians trotted out Jaylen Bender for a 46-yard field goal attempt with one second left, looking to force overtime.
Good snap, good hold, but Bender’s kick was wide left as Portsmouth celebrated victory in the season opener by a 15-12 final — giving the Trojans their eighth consecutive win over Valley.
“All week in practice, we said on 3rd and long situations, we knew they were going to pass,” Littlefield said. “The moment I rushed down, he tried to hit a little move and my body just grabbed him up.”
Statistically, JT Williams finished 6-for-10 passing with 39 yards for the Trojans. Chase Heiland led the brigade on the ground with 125 yards on 25 carries and two touchdowns.
For Valley, Aidan Waughtel completed 8-of-16 passes for 110 yards. Gabe McNeil carried the ball 16 times for 53 yards. Anthony Aaron’s only carry of the game was an 11-yard touchdown run.
The Indians look to bounce back with a trip to Coal Grove next Friday. Meanwhile, Portsmouth looks to stay in the win column as West pays a visit to Trojan Coliseum.
“We’ve got a lot to work on. I think we came in thinking we would dominate offensively. We know West is tough. This group of seniors, we have not beat West at the varsity level,” Heiland said. “Were just hoping we can beat them and start 2-0.”
“After tonight, we know we’ve got a lot to clean up. It’s West, it’s a backyard brawl and we know it’s going to be physical, ” Coach Kalb added. “Week 1 is never pretty. We can’t let mistakes, failures or adversity pull us back. We have to make sure we keep moving forward, inch by inch.”
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