BELLBROOK — Eleven plays and three possessions earlier in the game, the play-action long-bomb pass from Alex Westbrock to Taylor Jordan had failed miserably.
But with just over two minutes left in Friday’s Southwestern Buckeye League battle with Valley View, the very same play worked like a charm.
Westbrock lobbed a 34-yard pass to a wide-open Jordan right up the middle of the field, and Jordan scooted the rest of the way for the clinching touchdown in a crazy 30-19 Golden Eagles victory.
When the play was first called earlier in the fourth quarter, Westbrock had overthrown a just-as-wide-open Jordan by almost a zip code, and Bellbrook had to punt the ball away on that possession.
The TD helped Bellbrook fend off a torrid Valley View comeback and preserve the win.
The first half, or more specifically the final 6:33 of the second quarter, was all Bellbrook. The Golden Eagles jumped in front on a Taylor Jordan field goal from 28 yards out, then Ashton Ault scooped up a Spartan fumble and raced 26 yards for a touchdown for a quick 10-0 lead with 6:20 still left in the first half.
On Valley View’s next possession, Bellbrook defensive back Sam Sherrill deflected a Cade Cradlebaugh pass and Ethan Fryman came up with the interception. Two plays later, Bellbrook’s Westbrock connected on his first TD pass of the game — an 11-yard toss to J.R. McCormick.
Less than two minutes had passed, but Bellbrook was now out in front 17-0.
After Valley View failed to convert on a fourth-down fake punt pass, Bellbrook used four plays to go 34 yards and score yet again. This time, it was Jonah Atchison who rumbled in from a yard out. Jordan’s point after sailed wide left, but the Golden Eagles appeared to have a comfortable 23-0 lead at the half.
Then the second half saw Valley View go on a scoring binge of its own.
On the Spartans’ first play of the second half, Lucas Lynch raced around the left side for a 65-yard touchdown run. A Luke Combs extra point later and the Spartans were down 23-7 with all kinds of time left in the half.
On Valley View’s next possession, they rolled 42 yards in six plays to pull within 10 points of the lead (they missed their two-point try), 23-13.
Bellbrook went three plays and out, setting up a Valley View five-play 45-yard scoring drive that culminated with another Lynch score, this time from eight yards away. Bellbrook’s Braedon Gedeon blocked the extra point try, however.
It wasn’t until Westbrock lobbed his final TD pass to Jordan that this game’s outcome was a certainty.
Bellbrook tightens up the Southwestern Buckeye League’s Southwestern division with the win, and keeps themselves in the hunt. The Golden Eagles are now 4-2 overall, 1-1 in the SWBL Southwestern, and they’ll host Eaton next at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 11.
Valley View took its first loss of the season on Friday night and is now 5-1 overall, 2-1 in the SWBL Southwestern. The Spartans host Franklin next, a 7 p.m. contest at Germantown’s Barker Field.
Score By Quarters
Valley View 0 0 19 0 — 19
Bellbrook 0 23 0 7 — 30
Scoring plays
BB — Taylor Jordan 28 field goal
BB — Ashton Ault 26 fumble return (Jordan kick)
BB — J.R. McCormick 11 pass from Alex Westbrock (Jordan kick)
BB — Jonah Atchison 1 run (kick failed)
VV — Lucas Lynch 65 run (Luke Combs kick)
VV — Cade Cradlebaugh 4 run (pass failed)
VV — Lynch 8 run (kick blocked)
BB — Jordan 34 pass from Westbrock (Jordan kick)
Records: Bellbrook 4-2 (2-2 Southwestern Buckeye League Southwestern); Valley View 5-1 (2-1 SWBL Southwestern).
