Valley defense again dominates

LIBERTY -- If not for its own offense, one wonders how many opponents could score on the suffocating defense of the Missouri Valley College football team.

For the third time this season, the Vikings' defense held a foe to under 100 yards in total offense Saturday during a 44-11 Heart of America Conference victory at William Jewell.

After bumbling away 11 points during the last four minutes of the first half to go into the break trailing by one, Valley's offense blew the Cardinals off the field with 34 unanswered points.

The Vikings were in command during the early going, staging a nine-play, 84-yard drive on its first possession. Junior Chris White hit junior Darrell Madry with two passes for 30 yards and junior Sterling Hardin broke off a 34-yard run to reach the Jewell 13-yard line.

Valley banged its way in on five more plays, the last a 1-yard Hardin dive.

Hardin ran for 14 and 12 yards on the Vikings' next series, which stalled on downs at the WJC 21. However, senior Adrian Trevino kicked a 32-yard field goal to cap the following drive, which featured six runs for 38 yards by senior David Allen.

Then a series of blunders by the Valley offense gave the Cardinals new life, the first being a shotgun snap over White's head by junior Marque Black which went into the end zone for a safety.

Although Jewell could do nothing on the ensuing possession, White fumbled the ball on his own 32. The Cardinals took three plays to score on junior Drew Witman's 19-yard pass to senior Daniel Johnson.

Eight seconds later, another Viking fumble was recovered on their 31 by freshman Damon Shepherd, setting up freshman J.R. Reynolds' 36-yard field goal for an 11-10 Jewell lead with five seconds left in the half.

The Cardinals attempted to exploit their momentum coming out of intermission, starting the second half with an onside kick -- which failed, allowing Trevino to boot a 32-yard kick to put Valley back in front.

Jewell had one more chance to exploit a Viking miscue, a fumbled punt return near midfield, but was stopped cold and was handed no more opportunities.

Allen rumbled for 16 and 15 yards, senior Jacob Cahill caught a 12-yard pass and White hooked up with Madry for 33 yards for Valley's first touchdown in 33 minutes. It was the first of three TDs within a five-minute span.

Junior Jesse Putnam blocked a punt to give the Vikings the ball six yards from the end zone, White flipping to junior Bryan Blackley on the first snap.

Reynolds shanked a 10-yard punt, Valley taking over at the Cardinals' 30. Hardin dashed 27 yards then scored from three yards out for a 34-11 lead 28 seconds into the fourth quarter.

The Vikings weren't done yet. Madry caught a 23-yard catch and Allen ran for 12 to set up Trevino's 24-yard boot and White threw a 65-yard bomb to Madry for the final score with 6:41 remaining.

Although it didn't commit a turnover, William Jewell (0-5, 0-5 HAAC) netted only 16 yards rushing against the NAIA's second-ranked run defense and just 79 yards through the air.

Madry caught seven passes for 166 yards and Hardin ran for 116 yards to pace the 11th-ranked Vikings (5-1, 5-1), who return to Gregg-Mitchell Field for Homecoming -- at which time the renovated stadium will be christened in honor of Hall of Fame coach Volney C. Ashford -- to take on Evangel.