Tri-Valley Rolls Past Minersville 31-6 for Fourth Straight Win
The short version
- Tri-Valley beat Minersville 31-6 on Thursday night for its fourth straight win since a season-opening loss to Line Mountain.
- Parker Hatter left with a shoulder injury and was limited to 17 yards on five carries; Donovan Keeth scored three touchdowns.
- Landon Horoschak rushed for 99 yards and Trey Porter added 63 yards and a rushing score.
- Robert Schwartz returned an interception 75 yards for a fourth-quarter touchdown.
- Minersville has lost four straight for the first time in over a decade.
The Bulldogs overcame Parker Hatter's shoulder injury behind a three-touchdown night from fullback Donovan Keeth and a dominant fourth quarter on the road Thursday.
The Tri-Valley Bulldogs won their fourth consecutive game Thursday night, defeating the Minersville Battlin' Miners 31-6 on the road. Tri-Valley built a 14-3 halftime edge and pulled away in the fourth quarter, getting 99 rushing yards from Landon Horoschak, 63 from Trey Porter, and 60 yards with three touchdowns from fullback Donovan Keeth.
Tri-Valley had to manage without Parker Hatter, who had carried the offense through the season's first four weeks. He injured his shoulder early in the game, managed only 17 yards on five carries, and sat out after the Bulldogs' opening drive of the second quarter. "Next man up is, you know, is our philosophy here," coach Jeffrey Sampson said, crediting Horoschak for stepping in and the team's willingness to do whatever it took to win.
The game was tighter than the final margin suggested. Minersville moved the ball on its first possession, reaching midfield before failing on downs. Tri-Valley then turned it over when Jordan Bowers intercepted a Porter pass at the Miners 35 and returned it 33 yards. Minersville then used 10 plays to gain 22 yards and settled for Bowers' 27-yard field goal and a 3-0 lead.
Tri-Valley responded early in the second quarter with a seven-play, 68-yard march. A 39-yard Horoschak run set up Keeth's four-yard touchdown for a 7-3 lead the Bulldogs never gave up. On the next series, Porter intercepted Minersville quarterback Kushon Sims at the Miners' 17, and Porter later capped the short drive with a one-yard touchdown run to make it 14-3 at the break.
Minersville threatened after halftime, driving 68 yards in six plays, aided by Camden Rodgers' 48-yard catch from Derek Derenzo. The Battlin' Miners rotated Derenzo and Sims at quarterback throughout the night, but the drive stalled inside the Tri-Valley 10, and Bowers hit a 23-yard field goal to cut the gap to 14-6. Nathan Hilliard answered with a 31-yard field goal for the Bulldogs, sending the game to the fourth quarter at 17-6.
Minersville stayed aggressive in the final period, with Derenzo taking most of the snaps. A 23-yard completion to Parker Zaharis moved the ball to the Tri-Valley 32, but four straight Derenzo incompletions gave the ball back on downs. Tri-Valley capitalized with Horoschak runs of 16 and 19 yards before Keeth broke a 37-yard touchdown for a 24-6 lead with under five minutes remaining. Robert Schwartz iced the win on the next possession, intercepting Sims at the Bulldogs' 25 and returning it 75 yards for a touchdown.
The victory keeps Tri-Valley unbeaten since a 14-7 season-opening loss to Line Mountain, with the offense scoring at least 25 points in all four wins. Sampson said that early defeat taught his players they need a full four-quarter effort to win. Looking ahead, he said the team still needs to clean up penalties and interceptions to be ready for the playoffs.
For Minersville, the loss was its fourth in a row, the program's first four-game skid in more than a decade. The second half of the schedule brings games against Shenandoah Valley, Williams Valley, and Mahanoy Area — all currently at .500 or better — plus matchups with Schuylkill Haven and Nativity BVM. Tri-Valley, with an extra day of rest, faces Marian Catholic next Friday in a key Schuylkill League Division II game that could also affect the District XI playoff race.
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