Playing in the Division IV state championship game last Saturday night, Snowflake was hoping to return the state title to Lobo country for the first time since 1993. The game was a memorable one, but unfortunately for Lobo fans, Snowflake came up just short after giving up a game winning touchdown to River Valley in the final two minutes of the game to finish as the state runner-up, still an incredible feat. River Valley won the game 28-21.
The game was a defensive struggle through much of the first three periods, but in the fourth both teams came alive, combining for 35 points in the final 12 minutes.
With defenses dominating play through a scoreless first period, River Valley got the first break of the game early in the second. The Lobos fumbled the ball deep in their own territory, setting up the Dust Devils just 22 yards away from the end zone. Four plays later River Valley’s premier running back, Brandon Long, busted through from three yards out to secure the first lead of the game at 7-0 following the point after kick.
Late in the second quarter the Dust Devils returned the favor with a high snap to their punter, resulting in the Lobos having the ball at the River Valley 10 yard line. It took four plays from there, but on fourth down Tyler Claridge connected with Travis Flake from eight yards out, tying the game at 7-7 with 43 seconds left in the half.
Neither team scored in a field position battle throughout the third period.
River Valley broke the tie early in the fourth as quarterback Brady Viles hooked up with Andres Galvez for an 82-yard catch and run to go ahead again, 14-7. A miscue on a Lobo punt from their own 20 yard line gave the Dust Devils the ball once again with a very short field to work with. They took advantage, scoring moments later on a 20-yard pass from Viles to his tight end, David Sanchez, pushing the margin to 21-7.
The Lobos didn’t win 12 games this year by giving up and they showed their mettle late in the fourth. They answered River Valley’s score with an 80-yard scoring drive capped with 5:40 left in the game on a three-yard run by Trevor McCray. Brenton Ballard’s point after kick was blocked, leaving the Lobos still trailing by eight. A gutsy onside kick call on the ensuing kickoff was recovered by Kurt Wood and once again the Lobos were driving. Claridge connected with Flake, who made a great catch for a 28-yard scoring play with 4:28 left in the game. Porter Black completed a pass to Lane Penrod for the two-point conversion, tying the game at 21-21 with under four minutes remaining.
The Dust Devils have relied on Long for much of the season and they put the title game in his hands on their final drive. Long moved his team down the field and with 1:31 left in the game, he scored the winning touchdown on a 28-yard run around the end. The point after kick made the final score 28-21 and gave River Valley its first ever state championship in football.
Snowflake had one final drive, but when forced to go for it on fourth down, an interception by the Dust Devils ended their season.
Long finished the game with 175 yards on 29 attempts. Unofficially, River Valley racked up 341 yards of total offense, with 211 of that coming on the ground.
Snowflake came into the game with a strong rushing attack, but was held to only 99 yards on the ground. Claridge completed 18 of 28 passes for 182 yards with two touchdowns. On the ground, McCray rushed 16 times for 63 yards. Drew Schneider, who had an exceptional season, struggled in this game, gaining only 10 yards on five attempts. Flake led the receiving corps with seven catches for 91 yards and two scores. Black had four grabs for 40 yards. Snowflake turned the ball over three times, with two of those three setting up River Valley with excellent field position and the Dust Devils took advantage of it.
The Lobos finished the season with an overall mark of 12-2, which included a 10-game winning streak they took into the championship game.
