O'Neill had to travel to play their first game of the season, but the final result was worth the trip. They put the hurt on Valentine with a sharp 47-25 win on Friday. With the Eagles ahead 35-0 at the half, the matchup was all but over already.
Turner Heiss
| 08/29/25 @ Valentine | 36 |
| 10/25/24 vs Lakeview | 2 |
| 10/18/24 @ Scotus | 6 |
| 10/11/24 @ Schuyler | 18 |
| 10/04/24 vs Pierce | 3 |
| + 2 more games |
O'Neill's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Turner Heiss, who rushed for 36 yards and three scores, and also threw for 60 yards and one TD while completing 83.3% of his passes. That's the most rushing yards Heiss has posted since back in September of 2024. Another rusher making a difference was Braxen Eichelberger, who rushed for 105 yards on only nine carries.
O'Neill didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited Valentine to a completion percentage of just 44%. That dominant aerial defense primarily came from two players: Ryker Sudbeck and Ryder Kelly, who each logged one passes deflected. Given Heiss' standout performance, it's clear Valentine's secondary just wasn't on the same level.
O'Neill didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Ian Yates and Porter Mathews.
Parker Chavez and Trace Buechle certainly did their best on Friday to avoid the loss. Chavez rushed for 60 yards and one touchdown on only seven carries, while Buechle rushed for 49 yards and one score. Chavez also deserves a shoutout for his performance on D, forcing one fumble and making nine total tackles (1.0 for loss).
Coming up, O'Neill will be playing at home against Gordon-Rushville on Friday. As for Valentine, they will hit the road for the first time this season to square off against Chadron at 6:00 p.m. on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
