Bellbrook limited Valley View to a single field goal and few other threats after giving up 63 points to Valley View in losses the last two seasons.
“It was a defensive battle for sure,” Bellbrook coach Jeff Jenkins said. “They kind of had our number offensively, and we had their number offensively. Our defense just kept stepping up, stepping up, stepping up. We were hopeful that we were going to break that big one eventually, and we were lucky enough to break that big one when it counted.”
The big one was a 75-yard touchdown run by Tanner Stewart with 8:49 left in the fourth quarter for the game’s first touchdown. That gave Bellbrook a 16-3 lead.
Earlier, Bellbrook (2-1) led 9-0 after three field goals by Riley Ferrin in the first half. Valley View got on the board with a 23-yard field goal by Brayden Bell in the third quarter.
Bellbrook ended a two-game losing streak in the series. Valley View won 42-21 in 2023 and 21-7 in 2022.
This was Bellbrook’s first victory against Valley View since 2021 when it won 35-25 in Week 10. That was Bellbrook’s fourth straight victory in the series. The programs have played every year since 1975.
“We wanted it pretty bad,” Jenkins said, “but we knew it wasn’t going to be easy. Their film doesn’t lie. They’re tough. They’re hard-nosed. They’re fast. They’re physical. They’re big. They’ve got the makings of a great team. I expect them to win a lot of games.”
Valley View (1-2), which plays a home game against Carlisle in Week 4, also struggled offensively in Week 1, losing 38-0 at Coldwater. In between that game and this game, it routed Milton-Union 49-7.
This was Valley View’s lowest score against Bellbrook since a 33-0 loss in 2014. This was the lowest-scoring game in the series since Bellbrook won 16-3 in 2004.
“Defensively, we didn’t quit,” Valley View coach Matt King said. “That’s what I asked them not to do. Don’t quit. And they did a great job. I couldn’t be more proud of them. Offensively, it was an execution thing. (Bellbrook’s) really good, but there’s some things that we did that were not good, and so that was disappointing from an execution standpoint.”
Valley View ran for 266 yards against Bellbrook last season but gained just 41 yards on the ground on 28 carries and 67 through the air in this game.
“You’ve got to take away the run,” Jenkins said. “They’re a run-based offense. It really comes down to will. Our guys are never the biggest on the field, but we run fast, hit hard, hustle and play for each other, and they’re very well prepared. I think that’s what allows us to be successful.”
Bellbrook won its second straight game after a 28-7 loss at Tippecanoe in Week 1. Last week, it won 35-14 at Bellefontaine.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do as a team,” Jenkins said. “We’ve got a long way to go to reach our goals. We want to chase another league title. We want to get back in the playoffs, and we want to make a deep run. By playing teams like Valley View and Bellefontaine and Tipp City out of the gate, I think we’re preparing ourselves just for that.”
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