CALEDONIA — If you’re a fan of high scoring football, Friday might week 10 action between Galion and River Valley was for you. The Tigers went on the road and picked up a 56-49 victory.
“We talk a lot about going 1-0, every week our goal is to go 1-0. In the MOAC it is very hard to go 1-0 every week,” Galion’s head coach Matt Dick said after the win.
Galion’s Gabe Ivy ran wild for 330 rushing yards on 34 carries, while finding the end zone three times.
River Valley’s Cayden Shidone put together 404 passing yards on 22-of-40 passing with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Shidone used his wheels 17 times for 86 yards and three more touchdowns.
Braxton Prosser had an efficient night passing for the Tigers, completing 6-of-7 passes for 60 yards and two scores. The sophomore quarterback added 83 yard rushing and another score.
Grant Butler had as good of a game receiving as you will see for the Vikings. Butler caught nine passes for a total of 231 receiving yards.
The two teams put together 1,097 yards of total offense. River Valley led the way with 553 of them.
Ivy got the Tigers on the board quickly with a 31-yard carry to start things. The Vikings wasted no time, Shidone hit Butler for a 16 yard touchdown after a quick drive to tie things.
Shidone and Butler connected again, this time on a 3rd-and-11 from 83-yards out. The Vikings closed out the first quarter with a three yard carry from Austin Whitley, which gave them a two score advantage.
Ivy broke off a 27-yard at the 10:19 mark of the second quarter to make it a one possession game. The momentum for the Tigers continued as Ivy intercepted a pass from Shidone, then scored from 20 yards out to complete the first half hat trick of touchdowns.
“He’s (Ivy) a 145 pound kid, we’re in the MOAC. The fact that he’s that tough he can do it … he comes from the Ivy family. It starts all the way back with his dad, just all that grit growing up with his brothers Caleb Ivy and Harrison Ivy.”
The first half slug fest continued as Blake Mosher took off for a 41-yard score of his own. Galion (6-4, 5-2 Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference) had an answer to tie things in the form of a 21-yard Logan Shifley touchdown.
River Valley (5-5, 3-4 MOAC) responded with a 3 yard carry from Shidone, but missed the extra point to make it 34-28.
Galion’s quarterback Prosser made magic happen on a 30-yard broken play in which he scored. Galion forced a big turnover which a Shidone pass hit a Vikings’ helmet and Shifley returned it deep into River
Valley territory. Then, Braxton Prosser hit his cousin Landyn Prosser on a 13-yard dot.
“It was huge — great play by him. It bounced off the kid’s head though, so it was still a great throw. Those timely turnovers and our kids execute,” Dick said.
The third quarter seen no scores, but Galion took advantage of a lengthy drive that chewed up much of the third and went into the fourth. Carson Frankhouse capped things off with a two yard carry to make it 49-34.
“We are going to run a lot, that was the game plan, it’s what we do,” explained Dick. “We have a sophomore he can sling it, [and] Chafin is a threat.”
Shidone responded with a one yard carry after an 80-yard drive to bring it within one possession.
“Their quarterback (Shidone) is such special player, he’s a fun kid to watch, hats off to him,” Dick spoke.
Galion put together a gutsy drive that ended in a three yard passing touchdown from Prosser to Landon Campbell.
One last push from the Vikings came on a Shidone six yard touchdown run. Galion was able to recover the onside kick and end things in victory formation.
The Tigers will play in week 11 to start the playoffs against No. 8 seeded Bellevue. Galion will be the No. 9 seed in Division IV Region 14.
