If Smoky Valley was riding high fresh off their 43-0 takedown of Belle Plaine last Friday, their most recent game may have dampened their spirits a bit. The Smoky Valley Vikings came up short against the Haven Wildcats on Friday, falling 42-16. The result was an unpleasant reminder to the Vikings of the 50-28 defeat they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in September of 2023.
When it comes to explaining why Smoky Valley lost, don't look at Gavin Stambaugh. Despite the final result, he rushed for 161 yards and a touchdown while picking up 7.3 yards per carry.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Smoky Valley was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 218 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 191 rushing yards in six consecutive contests dating back to last season.
Leading Haven to victory were Vance Loop and Nash Wray. Loop rushed for 159 yards and two touchdowns on only 12 carries, while Wray rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown on only ten carries. That's the most rushing yards Loop has posted since back in September of 2023. Haven also got help from Chandler Ingold, who showed off his sure hands for 90 receiving yards.
Smoky Valley now has a losing record at 1-2. As for Haven, their win was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 3-0.
Smoky Valley will host Trinity Academy at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Smoky Valley is facing Trinity Academy at the right time seeing as Trinity Academy is stuck on a four-game losing streak. As for Haven, they are taking a road trip to challenge Douglass at 6:45 p.m. on Friday. Haven knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 31 points or more in their past three matches -- so hopefully Douglass likes a good challenge.
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