SCHUYLKILL HAVEN – The letter “v” stands for two things, Vikings and victory. Williams Valley (12-1) rolled into the Eagles’ Nest and defeated the best 2A team in the state, Schuylkill Haven (12-1), by a score of 34-31 on Friday night.
Each team scored on their opening drive. Williams Valley was first when Brady Shomper ran two yards after a 26-yard pass put them inside the five yard line. The Hurricanes got on the board when Max Heim connected with Blake Rossi for a 31-yard score to even the game up at seven. When the Vikes took the ball back following the touchdown, Ethan Kline recovered a fumble with 3:11 left in the first quarter. Five seconds later, Colton Reber rushed 16 yards to give the Canes a 14-7 lead. Logan Goad blocked a Williams Valley punt with ten seconds left in the quarter. With less than a second left on the scoreboard, Reber struck again, this time for a 36-yard run to take the 14 point lead going into the next quarter.
The Vikings took the ball back after that score, but Schuylkill Haven’s defense created a turnover on downs to take possession back. To conclude the drive, Greyson Fessler booted a 28-yard field goal right through the uprights to increase their lead to 24-7. Williams Valley responded right back with a 10-yard rushing touchdown by Fletcher Thompson. The Vikings got their first turnover on downs with 1:50 left in the half. On fourth down, they (Williams Valley) pulled off a fake punt that turned into a 61-yard touchdown where Shomper connected with Thompson. Head coach Ben Ancheff did not want to give the ball away at a crucial point in the game. “It gave us a little bit of momentum to build off of,” Ancheff added. The PAT was blocked to put the score at 24-20.
To kick off the second half, Shomper threw a 39-yard touchdown to Blazer Lords. The Vikings took the lead back, 27-24. Shifting to the fourth quarter, Schuylkill Haven could have had an interception, but a flag took that away and let Williams Valley keep the ball. Goad ran 15 yards to help the Hurricanes reclaim the lead, now 31-27. With less than a minute left in the game, Shomper threw a 42-yard touchdown strike to Colin Crisswell. The Canes had one last chance to score as they were driving downfield quickly. An illegal forward pass by them created a fourth and three situation for Haven, where Shomper sealed the game with an interception. For him (Shomper), that interception meant a lot to him and the senior class he is part of.
Overall, Williams Valley moves to 12-1 on the season and will move on to the state playoffs. They will play either District 12 champion Lansdale Catholic or District 2 Lakeland. The Schuylkill Haven Hurricanes end their season at 12-1.
When I talked to Shomper after the game, he told me why the senior class is special to him. “The connection I have with these Seniors since I was five has grown stronger and stronger. We’re really having a lot of fun, and I love these guys. It feels great winning our third one in a row.”
Williams Valley 34, Schuylkill Haven 31
| Teams | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final |
| Williams Valley (12-1) | 7 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 34 |
| Schuylkill Haven (12-1) | 21 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 31 |