The Highland (4-4, 1-4) offense put on a show led by Dane Nauman and Kolton Stover, but despite nearly 500 yards of total offense, River Valley (4-4, 3-2) was able to squeak by with 38-37 win in a comeback effort in the fourth quarter that was won by a two point conversion.
River Valley went up 7-0 in the first quarter on a 12 yard touchdown pass by Chase Ebert to Ayden Kenney and an extra point. Stover then connected with a huge 70-yard pass to Kadyn Reichenbach to make it 7-6. Ebert tossed a touchdown pass for 19-yards to Luke Rogers and an extra point put River Valley up 14-6. Stover then ran the ball in from 12 yards out and Malin Fichtner made it a 14-13 game on the extra point.
In the second quarter, Fichtner gave the Fighting Scots the lead on a 32 yard field goal, but River Valley’s Treyton Mercer responded with a one-yard score to go up 21-16 with the extra point made. Nauman ran the ball in from a yard out and the Fichtner PAT made it a 23-21 game at halftime in favor of Highland.
In the third quarter, Nauman scored on a 10-yard run and Fichtner made it a 30-21 game. He stuck again with a 44-yard rushing touchdown to go up 37-21 with the extra point, but Mercer tacked on a score of his own from two yards away to make it a 37-27 game at the end of three quarters.
In the fourth quarter, River Valley hit a 32-yard field goal and then followed with a one-yard rushing touchdown by Mercer to make it a one point game. It came down to the two point conversion for a win, or an extra point to tie, and River Valley decided to go for the victory. It worked, as Ebert hit Justin Main in the end zone for the game winning play.
Nauman had 17 carries for 112 yards and three touchdowns. Stover was 18-for-26 for 304 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He also ran seven times for 45 yards and a touchdown. Reichenbach caught seven passes for 165 yards and a touchdown, and Zach Church had eight catches for 113 yards. Fichtner was 4-for-5 for extra points and made his only field goal attempt.
On defense, Gavin Wiggand had 10 tackles and Sam Hernandez recorded 7.5 tackles.
This was the third straight loss for the Fighting Scots, and the second in a row that was decided by less than a field goal.
Remaining games:
Friday, Oct. 13, 7 p.m. at Clear Fork
Friday, Oct. 20, 7 p.m. vs. Ontario
