Valle Catholic back in football state title game, trounces Mid-Buchanan 37-14 in semis
November 30, 2019 6:19PM CST
A tradition of excellence continues.
The Valle Catholic Warriors are heading to the Class 1 Football State Championship game as they defeated Mid-Buchanan Saturday afternoon 37-14.
Valle scored first just seconds into the game.
While the offense struggled with a pair of failed fourth-down conversions, the Warrior defense kept on rolling, forcing the Dragons to punt twice.
Chase Dunlap got the Valle offense in gear with a 38-yard pass to Collin Grass and a scoring run.
Up 9-0, Valle Catholic punted for the first time all game, but Mid-Buchanan didn’t take advantage.
Javan Noyes threw an interception to Grass, and Cory Stoll made the Dragons pay on the next snap with the Serenity Hospice Care Play of the Game.
After leading 16-0 and forcing yet another Mid-Buc punt, Stoll hit on another big play.
The Warriors forced yet another punt and managed to build on their 23-0 lead through the air.
A commanding 30-0 halftime lead was all Valle Catholic would need, but the Warriors did tack on.
After a Stoll fumble, the defense got a stop, and a long 11-play drive ended in the end zone.
Mid-Buchanan would get on the board in the third quarter with a one-yard touchdown run by Noyes and a 45-yard TD pass from Noyes to T.J. Runyan, but the win was never in doubt.
Warriors head coach Judd Naeger had praise for his team.
Stoll piled up 156 yards rushing on his way to being named Applebee’s Player of the Game.
The junior said his offensive line paved the way for his long TD runs.
Valle Catholic wins its 11th straight to improve to 13-1, while Mid-Buchanan ends its season at 12-2.
The Warriors will play the Lincoln Cardinals in the state championship game next Saturday, December 7th at 3 in Columbia.
You can hear that game on J-98 beginning with the Fleig’s Equipment Pregame Show at 2:35.
