VALLEY JUGGERNAUT

Compiled by Bill Cornwell THE INSIDER Editor.

The scoreboard at Wheeling Island Stadium said that Martinsburg beat Spring Valley 31-7 on December 1st to claim a third straight win over the Timberwolves in the WV Class AAA title game, but the score doesn’t tell the story of a season for Spring Valley football.

It was a season in which history was made..history that may be difficult to repeat in the future.

A 13-1 record isn’t something to regret, but proudly mark and remember.

Coach Brad Dingess and his staff knew as practices began last summer that the Timberwolves had potential to make another run for a possible state championship if returning veterans played to their potential and some newcomers grew into their positions.

The season had an interesting beginning on August 24th as in-county rival Wayne paid a visit to the Wolves Den. The two clubs hadn’t played since 1998 and the game was only scheduled due to maneuvering among past county schools administrators.

Wayne returned a solid team from 2017 and eventually reached the 2018 Class AA playoffs but the Pioneers were no match for Spring Valley as the Timberwolves throttled their county neighbors by a 49-8 score. The Timberwolves were up 49-0 at halftime, piling up 386 yards of offense in 24 minutes of playing time, holding Wayne to only 10 yards and no first downs. Wayne had only 89 yards of offense for the entire contest. It only took two plays for the Timberwolves to score, a warning of the quick-strike capability of the offense. The only negative on the night was something that would occasionally plague the team during the

season as Spring Valley was flagged for 13 penalties.

Spring Valley remained home in week two as the Hurricane Redskins invaded northern Wayne County. Past games between the two schools had been close, but not in 2018 as the Timberwolves huge offensive line created big holes in the Hurricane defense on the way to a 27-3 win. An example of that physical presence was shown in a touchdown drive to begin the second half that took over half of the quarter time off of the clock. The only bright spot for the Redskins was Christian Hill’s 159 rushing yards.

After the 2-0 start, Spring Valley faced a difficult stretch of the schedule with four consecutive road games. The first of those games was against rival Cabell Midland. Senior Graeson Malashevich was the star in this 35-7 win in Ona as he beat the Knights with his feet, arm and defensive ability, intercepting a pass and running the Spring Valley offense in the second half out of “wildcat” quarterback formation. The Timberwolves defense held the Knights to only 129 total yards of offense. The win was Spring Valley’s most dominant performance ever over Midland.

The first of three straight games in the Kanawha Valley came on September 14th at South Charleston. The game may have been the sloppiest so for the Timberwolves with three first half fumbles and a narrow 13-7 halftime lead. The second half was a more Valley-like effort on the way to a 42-14 win over the Black Eagles.

The Timberwolves were in Charleston the next week and came away with a dominant 62-21 road win over the George Washington Patriots. Spring Valley showed that it wasn’t only a rush-only offense in the game as the Timberwolves senior quarterback Will Adkins completed nine passes for 302 yards and five touch- downs, four of them caught by Graeson Malashevich. Adkins actually outpassed GW’s talented senior quarterback and Marshall commit, Grant Wells.

Week Six brought a showdown at Laidley Field between Spring Valley and a familiar foe, the Capital Cougars, then the top two teams in the Class AAA rankings. A tight game ended in favor of Spring Valley by a 21-13 score. The Cougars had a 7-6 halftime lead, but the Timberwolves defenders slowed the athletic Cougars in the second half and Spring Valley ended the game in typical fashion, eating the last 7:13 off of the clock while maintaining the winning margin. Spring Valley had a pair of 100-yard rushers in the game in Malashevich and Owen Chafin on the way to a 341 to 205 total yards advantage. Spring Valley returned home for the first time in a month in week seven and easily dispatched Riverside by a 42-21 score, rolling up a 42-0 halftime lead. Malashevich set the tone for the night with a 66-yard punt return for a touchdown after the Warriors had a three-and-out on the game’s opening possession. Coach Brad Dingess pulled his starters before halftime, giving reserves plenty of live game action.

Yet another Kanawha County opponent became another Timberwolves victim in week eight as St. Albans came to Spring Valley and suffered a 60-6 thrashing. Malashevich scored on the first play of the game, a 57-yard run and the rout was on from there, even though the Timberwolves suffered three first quarter fumbles. Defense was again dominant for the Valley as the Red Dragons didn’t record a first down until the 7:30 mark of the third quarter.

After eight weeks and eight wins, it was time for some rest for the Timberwolves enjoyed their bye week on October 19th. It was back on the road the next week and a meeting with Class AA standout Point Pleasant on a rainy Mason County evening. The Big Blacks were prepared for the Timberwolves and outplayed them in the first half on the way to a shocking 27-14 halftime lead. Point Pleasant quarterback Cason Payne was especially effective against Spring Valley’s defense with both his arm and feet. The second half was another story as Spring Valley scored 44 straight points on the way to a 58-34 victory. Nate Ellis and Owen Chafin combined for 398 yards and five rushing touchdowns in the game.

Wanda Willoughby