Photo: Gaston’s Lathon Stewart (7) tries to escape the grasp of Pleasant Valley’s Dalton Page during the Bulldogs’ 37-6 loss last Friday (Sept. 1) at Gaston. (Photo by Mike Goodson)
By Mike Goodson/Sports Correspondent
The Pleasant Valley Raiders broke into the win column by dominating the Gaston Bulldogs, 37-6, last Friday (Sept. 1) at Shinbone Ridge.
Brody Phillips threw three touchdown passes for Pleasant Valley (1-1), including two to Caden Turner. Colton East ran for a pair of touchdowns, and Ethan Borders scored once.
Pleasant Valley took the opening kick-off and drove 65 yards in six plays for the game’s first points. Brody Phillips passed 12 yards to Caden Turner for the score. The PAT was no good but the Raiders held a 6-0 lead with 9:01 to go in the opening period.
On Pleasant Valley’s next possession, a 90-yard, three-play drive, Colton East broke a 76-yard run to give the Raiders a 12-0 lead with 47 seconds to go in the first quarter. A two-point conversion run was stopped short.
Pleasant Valley added another touchdown, driving 75 yards in only two plays to increase its lead to 18-0 with 9:27 to go in the first half. The PAT made the score 19-0.
Gaston put together an 11-play scoring drive capped by a 2-yard touchdown run from Kameron Hawkins to cut the lead to 19-6 with 3:01 to play in the first half.
A Gaston fumble late in the quarter set up Pleasant Valley’s next score. Phillips passed 33 yards to Jake Malsy for the TD with 1:06 to go before the half.
The third quarter was scoreless but rushing touchdowns by East and Borders in the fourth quarter made the final score 37-6.
Although the Bulldogs are playing with a lot of youngsters, Gaston head coach Swane Morris found several positives in his team’s effort.
“We don’t have a lot of experience but we’re finding some playmakers. Pleasant Valley has a lot of speed and caught us flat-footed a time or two. They do what they do well.”
Borders led Pleasant Valley with 120 yards rushing on 14 carries, followed by Colton East with 118 yards on only eight carries. The Raiders held Gaston to 136 yards in total offense, with Hawkins accounting for 79 of those yards.
The Bulldogs open Class 2A, Region 6 play with week with a home game against Section.