(Greenfield) Shenandoah turned the ball over on their first two possessions and trailed Nodaway Valley/O-M 12-0 less than three minutes into the game. The Mustangs even botched a punt try on their third possession, but didn’t let a woeful start seal their fate as they got a key defensive stop midway through the 1st quarter and battled their way right back into the game.
Anthony Shaw returned an interception down to the six yard line for Nodaway Valley/O-M and Avery Phillippi recovered a fumble to set up the Wolverine’s first two scores. Tyson Ross and Caelen DeVault each caught six yard TD passes from Nathan Russell. Russell would add two more passing scores in the first half and finished the night with over 350 yards. Caelen DeVault caught 13 passes for 165 yards. Boston DeVault snagged 7 catches for 70 yards and two TD’s. Tyson Ross posted 7 catches for 93 yards and one TD.
Shenandoah’s first score came on a Brody Cullin 10 yard TD catch in the first quarter and Seth Zwickel’s kick made it 12-7. Cullin posted four grabs for 62 yards while Beau Gardner had three grabs for 71 yards including a 58 yard TD. The biggest threat in the passing game was Blake Herold with 136 yards on 7 catches. Each team scored twice in the 2nd quarter to put it at a 26-20 score at the break. Boston DeVault had TD catches from 4 and 23 yards. His 23 yard scoring grab came on a 4th and goal play.
Neither squad could get much traction offensively after the break. Teams would move the ball through the air, but takeaways loomed large. Nodaway Valley/O-M got interceptions from Shaw, Ross, Matthew Webber, and Boston DeVault. Shenandoah had a pick from Ben Labrum along with a key fumble recovery out of Hunter Dukes on a lateral. With 5:42 left in the 3rd quarter Shenandoah came up with the only score of the 2nd half. Mount dropped off a screen to Morgan Cotten and the senior running back did the rest, taking it 31 yards to tie the game at 26. The Mustangs initially lined up to kick the point after, but Nodaway Valley/O-M jumped offsides. Shenandoah elected to go for two and converted for the 28-26 lead.
They even their record at 1-1, responding from a loss to Missouri Valley last week. Nodaway Valley/O-M drops to 1-1 on the season and will travel to Red Oak next week.
