High Point took care of business in their home opener on Thursday (and then some). They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Wallkill Valley Rangers 49-22 at home. This was payback for the Wildcats, who suffered a 23-20 defeat the last time these two teams met.
Among those leading the charge was Jerron Martress, who rushed for 113 yards and two touchdowns. He also put in work on the defensive side of the ball, forcing two fumbles and making six total tackles (1.0 for loss). John Elko was another key signal caller, rushing for 61 yards and a touchdown.
High Point wouldn't let Wallkill Valley keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force three fumbles. High Point can thank Martress and Brendon Lehman for forcing all of them. Lehman's also deserves a shoutout for his performance on D, forcing a fumble and making two total tackles.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, High Point was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 210 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Wallkill Valley only rushed for 101.
When it comes to explaining why Wallkill Valley lost, don't look at Zack Clarken. Despite the final result, he threw for 136 yards and two touchdowns on only 11 passes, and also rushed for 30 yards and a touchdown. A healthy portion of that aerial production (85 yards to be exact) went to Ethan Alfonso, who also brought in a receiving touchdown.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. High Point will host Hackettstown at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. As for Wallkill Valley, they will look to defend their home field on Saturday against North Warren Regional at 12:00 p.m. Wallkill Valley will come in still looking for their first win of the season.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
