The Southeast Valley Jr. High football team opened their 2024 season on the road Tuesday afternoon, on September 17th, in Pocahontas. Due to low numbers on Poky’s side, the 7th grade squad played two quarters and the 8th grade played four quarters with a splattering of 7th graders filling in the game when needed. Both squads played tremendous defense putting up goose eggs in each of the contests. In two quarters, the 7th grade put 22 points on the board to Poky’s zero while the 8th grade also pitched a shutout 24-0.

   The 8th grade Jags received the kick off to start the contest but had a hard time moving the ball against a sizable six man front resulting in a 3 and out punt. The defense held the Indians to three plays also forcing a punt. The offensive side of the ball made some adjustments using an unbalanced formation enabling running backs Parker Bintz and Wyatt Muench to pick up chunks of yardage eventually with Muench punching the ball across the goal with a four yard plunge. Muench then used a second effort to score the two point conversion; Jags 8 Poky O. The Jags were driving late in the second quarter but a fumbled exchange between QB and RB stalled the drive.

The Jags kicked off to start the second half with the defense holding Poky to a three and out again. The Jags started the drive running the ball, then QB Tucker Ollinger hit TE Colden Mapel on a timely 30 yard TD pass with TB Bintz scoring the 2 point conversion; Jags 16 Poky 0. In the fourth quarter, Bintz flashed some shifty moves scoring on a 28 yard TD run. Slotback Josiah Hefley broke two tackles scoring on a bubble pass from Ollinger making the final score 24-0.

The 7th grade put the Indians deep in their own side of the field with a great kick by Grant Ott, the defense held and on the ensuing punt the ball fell into Johnny Trueblood-Sniders hands where he scampered around the left side for the first score of the game. TB Tristan Hanson scored on the 2 point conversion making the score 8-0. Another long kick by Ott pinned the Indians deep in their own territory where the defense held, forcing a punt. The punt was blocked where cornerback Nicholas Vogel located the football, fell upon it in the endzone for another defensive score. TB Hanson’s number was called again making the score 16-0 in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Tristan Hanson scored on a 8 yard run up the gut but the two point conversion was no good making the score 22-0. On the defensive side of the ball, Inside Linebacker Boe Davis recovered a Poky fumble in the second quarter.