Teays Valley Rallies to Defeat Lancaster in OCC Football Opening Night
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Much has been discussed about Teays Valley High School’s move to the Ohio Capital Conference and how they will fare in the bigger league. For at least the first week of OCC play, the Vikings can say they belong with a 35-28 victory over the Lancaster Golden Gales.
Vikings Head Coach, Brian Cross spent 25 years in the OCC with the Grove City Greyhounds. The win was a nice re-introduction to the Conference. “I haven’t been in the OCC for a long time, so it’s nice to get one the first time (at Teays Valley)”.
The win was in come-from-behind fashion as the Vikings rallied from a 21-7 halftime deficit for the win. Without question, the Vikings defense was key in the comeback, shutting the Gales offense down in their first three possessions of the second half, each giving Teays Valley the ball in Lancaster territory.
The Gales struck for two unanswered scores to start the game for a 14-0 lead. The first score came after a 3 yard Teays Valley punt gave the Gales the short field, leading to a 30 yard/5 play scoring drive, capped off by a 1 yard TD run from Hunter Metz at 7:37 of the first quarter. The PAT kick by Ethan Graham gave Lancaster the 7-0 lead. Their next drive of 97 yards in 14 plays was concluded on a 17 yard TD pass from Brody Burke to 6’5 tight end Kamron Griffith at 8:09 in the second period for the 14-0 advantage.
Teays Valley picked up their first score on the ensuing kick-off at 7:57 of the second quarter, when Griffin Gray returned it 81 yards for the touchdown, followed by Maxwell Spencer’s PAT making it 14-7.
Lancaster took the momentum back on the Vikings next possession, when defensive back Brett Toronto took a pick-six, 39 yards for the score and a 21-7 lead at 3:38 of the second period. That remained the score going into halftime.
“We weren’t very physical in the first half” said Cross in a post game interview on Litter Media RADIO. “They kinda pushed us around. Offensively, we couldn’t get anything done.”
The Vikings defense turned the tide in the third period with two consecutive stops, and gaining the ball in Lancaster territory. The first drive started at the Gales 49 and took 5 plays before Brady Farmer found Cavin McDowell on a 2 yard scoring pass at 7:10 of the third quarter to cut the lead to 21-14. Teays Valley made another defensive stop, getting possession on Lancaster’s 33 yard line. Five plays later, Carson Payne ran for a 14 yard TD at 1:40 of the third quarter to tie the game at 21-21.
Cross challenged his defense during the break. “We just told the kids ‘Fellas, it’s up to you. You make up your mind what you want to do when you go out in the second half’ and they came and played physical football in the second half. It was unbelievable the way they were flyin’ around.”
In the fourth quarter, Payne struck on the defensive side of the ball, grabbing an interception and returning it 19 yards for the go-ahead score of 28-21 with 6:18 left in regulation.
“Oh, man … I was so excited when that ball came” said Payne after the game. “I knew I was gonna take it once he threw it and had to make a few people miss and I was in the end zone.”
Seemingly, with their backs to the wall and nothing going for them offensively in the second half, Lancaster’s running attack of Jahmeir Gordon kicked into high gear with repeated end sweeps to travel 81 yards in 7 plays for the tying score, as Gordon finished it off with a 30 yard scoring run at 2:53 to go in the contest.
However, Teays Valley had some last minute magic of their own, going 80 yards on 5 plays, capped off with a 2 yard run from Carson Payne at 1:18 remaining for the 35-28 lead and the eventual margin of victory.
“Last year, they beat us pretty good”, said Payne. “We didn’t want to go down the same as last year (24-0 in 2023). So, we decided as a team to keep working and not let the first half get us down and just pound the ball on them.”
Payne was named the Litter Media “McDonald’s Player of the Game”, scoring three touchdowns. Two by rush and one on his interception return. He also rushed for 86 yards on 16 carries. Lancaster’s Jahmeir Gordon was their leading rusher with 163 yards, which was all but one of the Gales rushing yards for the contest.
Teays Valley had 191 total yards with 97 passing and 94 rushing. Lancaster had 249 total yards, with 85 passing.
Lancaster was hurt by mistakes, committing 9 penalties for 75 yards and three turnovers. Teays Valley was flagged four times for 35 yards and had one turnover.
The Vikings improve to (1-0/3-1) while the Gales drop to (0-1/2-2) for the season.
