ONA, W.Va. — When Cabell Midland regained possession with 7:17 to play in Friday’s clash with Spring Valley, the Knights didn’t need points so much as the football while trying to protect a four-point lead.
Starting at Spring Valley’s 47-yard line following a 16-yard punt return from Jayden Branch, the Knights gained three first downs and ended the contest in the fashion they desired — victory formation — to hold off the previously unbeaten Timberwolves for a 21-17 victory.
“They have a good football team and anytime you play a game like this, it’s what you want,” Knights’ head coach Luke Salmons said. “Great crowds and great energy with some ups and downs. It’s great to win.”
It was the fifth straight victory for Class AAA No. 8 Cabell Midland (5-1), which has offered a strong response to a season-opening loss at George Washington. The top-rated Timberwolves fell to 5-1.
Cabell Midland faced a 17-14 deficit to start the fourth quarter, but on the fifth play of the final frame, Knights’ quarterback Ryan Wolfe broke several tackles to get free from Spring Valley defenders en route to a 47-yard touchdown run with 9:09 remaining.
“I kind of blacked out and I was just running,” Wolfe said. “I saw a lane, read my blocks and I couldn’t have done it without my linemen.”
Spring Valley got the ball back needing a touchdown to regain the lead, but Jalyn Abercrombie was dropped for a 5-yard loss on the first play. The next two plays netted only 7 yards, forcing the Timberwolves to punt.
“We made too many mistakes, especially on offense,” Timberwolves’ head coach Brad Dingess said. “It looked like we were unsettled a lot on offense, and when you play a good team like that, it happens when you don’t execute. We weren’t able to execute in crucial moments when we had the football.”
The Knights then followed by converting two third downs to keep possession, before Wolfe sealed the outcome with a 5-yard run in the red zone that moved the chains directly after Spring Valley was flagged for being offside.
“That’s who we are,” Salmons said of his team’s ability to run the clock out.
Landon Bosser’s 36-yard field goal gave Spring Valley a 3-0 lead 7:03 into the opening quarter, before CMHS answered with a 57-yard scoring drive that consisted of four rushes, the last of which was Curtis Jones’ 41-yard scamper into the end zone. The first of three Olivia Charles point-after kicks left the Knights with a 7-3 lead and 3:04 to play in the first quarter.
“In big games like this, you have to stay composed,” Salmons said.
The Timberwolves put together their first touchdown drive on their third series, which covered 52 yards in nine plays and was capped by Cody Shy’s 8-yard run 6:31 before halftime.
The Knights answered immediately, getting a 35-yard run from Zechariah Roberts, and then a 17-yard run from Wolfe, who scored his first touchdown from 3 yards on the next play. That came 4 minutes before halftime, and the Knights made their 14-10 lead stand over the remainder of the opening half.
The teams exchanged fumbles on separate occasions in the third quarter, including the Timberwolves’ Logan Perry muffing the opening kickoff, before Jones lost a fumble on the first play from scrimmage.
However, no points were scored off the turnovers, and the Timberwolves eventually went back in front when they capitalized on a short field and drove 48 yards, getting a 25-yard touchdown pass from Dalton Fouch to Kyrell Lewis to lead 17-14 with 1:43 left in the third quarter.
From that point forward, SVHS had only three offensive plays, with the Knights converting each of their last four third downs en route to a critical victory — two on the winning touchdown drive and two more on the game’s final series.
“The way they run that quarterback iso, it turns into a ruby scrum,” Dingess said, “and it looked like we went in there trying to strip the ball. Against a big, strong kid like Wolfe, you can’t do that.”
The Knights rushed for 304 yards, getting a game-high 141 yards from Wolfe, while Jones added 129.
“People doubted us at the beginning of the year from where we lost to George Washington,” Wolfe said. “We’ve found our chemistry, we’re starting to build and it’s just amazing.”
Although the Timberwolves had all 60 of the game’s passing yards, they mustered only 111 rushing yards, led by Fouch’s 46 on 11 carries. Spring Valley also completed only 3-of-14 passes.
“Our defense has played well,” Salmons said. “We’re giving up 8 points a game and we kind of hang our hat on that. We have some good kids in that secondary.”