Although the game was postponed one day due to weather, the Dawgs were more than excited to get their shortened season underway.
All of the players had been waiting to see if they would truly even have a season with COVID-19 causing many season cancelations thus far, but they finally got the green-light to go forward. Friday, August, 28th, at Jack Anderson Stadium, was senior night for the team and everyone was excited to have them back on the field. After waiting an hour for lightning delays, everyone was finally allowed to get into the stadium for the ceremony to begin. Senior night ceremonies went off without a hitch but just as the teams were taking their places on the field another storm cell moved in and postponed the game for the night. It was definitely an opening game night these players will never forget.
From the start of the night, Tri-Valley was firing on all cylinders and you could see their determination for the season riding on their shoulders with every play. In the first quarter of the game, the Scotties took control of the ball and never really let it go, punishing the Raiders defense all the way down the field. With 5:34 left in the first #19 Aidan Fritter completed a 16-yard pass to #9 Dalton Hazen for the first touchdown of the night followed by the PAT by #18 Coleson McCullough to put the Dawgs up 7 – 0. After kickoff Morgan only had the ball for a matter of minutes before they handed it back over to Tri-Valley who capitalized on it right away with a 26-yard pass from Fritter to #2 Jordan Pantaleo to punch it into the endzone with another PAT from McCullough to follow and finishing the quarter up 14 – 0 against the Raiders.
The second quarter didn’t bring any relief for Morgan as the Dawgs popped in another touchdown just seven seconds into the quarter on a short pass from Fritter to Hazen shooting the score to 21 after McCullough’s PAT. With 5:40 left in the quarter Fritter took the ball from the 6 yard line on a quarterback-keeper straight into the endzone to push the Tri-Valley Score to 28 after the PAT. Pantaleo finished off the scoring for the half with a 19-yard run to the goal post that McCullough capped with a good PAT to end the half with Tri-Valley at 35 and Morgan at 0.
After a 10 minute halftime break the two teams were back on the field. Morgan defense was working hard to stop the advance of the Scotties, but the Scotties were able to get #18 Coleson McCullough to the 26-yard line to put up a good field goal attempt to end the nights scoring at 38 points to Morgan’s 0. Tri-Valley got the victory and the team got to have their first night on the field! Way to go Dawgs!
Photo provided by Dan Vincent
