YOUTH FOOTBALL ROUNDUP: Valdese sweeps Drexel

Drexel-Valdese sports contests have always brought out a big crowd, and Saturday was no different as a large contingent of fans from both communities came out to cheer on their favorite team in Valdese.

In the early Pre Wee game, the players set the tone for some exciting football as both teams played with a lot of enthusiasm. Then when the older teams took the field, the excitement continued with Valdese sweeping the Pee Wee, Mighty Mite and Midget games from neighbor Drexel in two very close and one not-so-close contest.

Pee wees: Valdese 8, Drexel 0 - The Valdese Tiger and Drexel Wolverine Pee Wee squads both came into this game with 2-0 records and both teams played to win. In a great defensive battle, the Tigers scored in the first half on a Carter Wyatt touchdown and Beckett Nelson two-point conversion for all the points in a 8-0 Valdese win.

Both squads played great defensive football the rest of the way, with the Pee Wee Tigers finishing with a 3-0 season record while the hard-fighting Wolverines now sport a 2-1 record.

Valdese coaches named the entire defensive team as players of the game, while Drexel players Daylan Pritchard and Brennan Price received offensive honors and Dillon Wilson and Zack Poteat picked up defensive players of the game.

Mighty mites: Valdese 44, Drexel 6 - In the only game that did not go down to the final whistle, the Valdese Mighty Mites flexed their offensive muscles and scored often against Drexel. Tiger Zachary Absher scored the first short TD and Lyle Holland added the important two-point conversion for the early Valdese lead. Drexel answered shortly after when Jesse Gullet crossed the goal line to make the score 8-6.

Drexel then suffered an injury to important playmaker Eli Poteat, who had to be sent to the hospital with a apparent broken arm. After the Drexel score, Tiger Spencer Leonhardt scored and Holland added the conversion for the 16-6 Valdese lead after one quarter. Valdese went on to score in every quarter, with second quarter scoring by Leonhardt and Holland with two-point conversion by Holland making it 30-6 at the half. Holland hit Denver Treadway with a 20-yard halfback pass in the third quarter and Griffin Martin added the two points for the 38-6 lead after three quarters.

The final score of the game came on QB Spencer Abee hitting Tyler McKinney with a long TD strike late in the game to make the final tally 44-6. Drexel played hard the entire game, with several offensive drives shut down by Valdese defenders.

Midgets: Valdese 12, Drexel 6 - The final game of the day was not over to the very end as Drexel took the first half lead when quarterback Andrew Juhnke's first quarter run gave the Wolverines the 6-0 lead that stood up until late in the third quarter. With three minutes left in the third, Tiger QB Sammy Icard found an open Tanner Melton down the sideline for a nice scoring play, and when the PAT was not converted the game was tied at 6-6 going into the final frame.

After a couple of possession exchanges, Valdese got the ball back and with three minutes left in the game, the same combo of Icard and Melton connected for the game winner from 70 yards out to give the Tigers the 12-6 lead that they would not relinquish. In the hard fought defensive battle, Valdese players Joel White and Chase Biggerstaff (who had a big interception) were named as defensive standouts for the now 1-2 Tigers. Drexel, dropping to 2-1 on the season, was paced by Bryson Price and Christian Campbell on defense.

- Bill Bailey

Pee Wees: Ray Childers 8, Hildebran 0 - It was an offensive struggle for both pee wee squads until Noah Church scored the winning touchdown, with 7:29 left in the game, and ran in the two-point conversion.

Hildebran’s ensuing drive took the rest of the game clock as Ray Childers’ Trey Ward made the game-saving tackle forcing a turnover on downs to clinch the win for the Pirates.

Mighty mites: Ray Childers 6, Hildebran 0 - Luke Coble scored on an 18-yard run in the second quarter, as Hildebran had four turnovers leading to a six-point win for the Pirates.

The Eagles lost two fumbles while Ray Childers had three turnovers of their own, including one lost fumble.

The Pirates built up a goal-line stand on Hildebran’s last drive to clinch the win.

- Jason Baker