Springs Valley Community High School

For more than a decade, the Springs Valley football team has been chasing victory against Orange County rival Paoli. On Friday, the Blackhawks came as close as they ever have in their pursuit. With 33 seconds left in the game the Blackhawks led 22-21, but the Rams had the ball in the red zone. They would ultimately score on a four-yard run and win the game 29-22. It was a difficult loss for Springs Valley, as every loss is, but head coach Jason Lowe was proud of the effort he received from his team. “I hope anyone that was at that game saw how hard our kids played,” Lowe said. “Very disappointing outcome for sure and it kills me to see our kids that hurt after a loss.” The Blackhawks were particularly challenged at the end of the game as they lost some of their key players to injury. It would’ve been hard to tell that anybody was missing though, as there wasn’t a steep drop-off when Springs Valley had to turn to some of its reserves. “I loved it,” Lowe said. “Our coaches did a great job of plugging kids in and the kids that we put in gave us their very best. I really believe we will be better because of it down the road.” In part because of injuries, the Blackhawks had to turn to Konner Chase to carry a heavier load than usual and the junior stepped up to the task. He moved all around the field, often venturing away from his typical spot at wide receiver, and found success in doing so. He led Springs Valley with 18 carries for 72 yards, also scoring a touchdown and making a catch for 13 yards. He also moved around defensively, making nine tackles. It was his best performance of the season to date and his coach was excited to see him embrace the challenge when his number was called. “I told Konner at our team camp that he's not in (his brother) Kannon’s shadow and others would know that soon,” Lowe said. “Konner’s so versatile and can do so much for our team. He is a complete player and a great teammate. I love to watch him play.” Because of the looks the Springs Valley offense was getting from Paoli, it was moved to do something it hasn’t done often under Lowe — throw the football. Quarterback Mavrick Land used a litany of bubble screens and downfield heaves to put together a solid performance, completing six of his 11 attempts for 99 yards. Though an inch here or an inch there on certain plays could have made the Blackhawk passing attack an even bigger influence on the game, Lowe was glad to see his players showcase their adaptability. “I think we have the players to be a very balanced offense and a team that can hurt defenses in a multitude of ways,” Lowe said. “Just like any other position our quarterbacks and receivers work each week and try to get better at what we do. They did a nice job for us.” The loss was a setback for Springs Valley (2-1, 1-1 PLAC) in its quest for a conference title a year after going undefeated in the conference, but the Blackhawks will get a chance to bounce back next week as they host West Washington. “We have another home game against another conference opponent,” Lowe said. “I can't wait to get back to practice with our kids and get ready for a much-improved West Washington team.” RAMS 29, BLACKHAWKS 22 Paoli (2-1);15;0;6;8—29 Springs Valley (2-1);0;15;7;0—22 FIRST QUARTER PAO: Braxton Elliott 4 run (Trey Rominger run), 9:02. PAO, 7-0. PAO: Fletcher Cole 9 run (Chris Nunez kick), 4:36. PAO, 15-0. SECOND QUARTER SV: Konner Chase 7 run (Griffin McGee kick), 9:13. PAO, 15-7. SV: Ezra Mills 5 run (Mills run), 5:16. Tie, 15-15. THIRD QUARTER SV: Larron Childers 4 run (McGee kick), 5:35. SV, 22-15. PAO: Rominger 15 run (2-point run failed), 8:36. SV, 22-21. FOURTH QUARTER PAO: Rominger 4 run (Brandon Cook run), 0:33. PAO, 29-22. TEAM STATISTICS ;;Paoli;Springs Valley First downs;17;13 Rushes-yards;47-357;34-160 Passing yards;3;99 Total yards;360;259 Passes;1-2-0;6-11-0 Fumbles-lost;5-3;1-1 Penalty yards;10-72;10-67 RUSHING Paoli: Rominger 25-185, Elliott 8-75, Cook 6-43, Cole 6-26, Austin Benales 2-25. Springs Valley: Chase 18-72, Mills 15-35, Childers 4-25, Mavrick Land 4-10, James Walls 3-17. PASSING Paoli: Elliott 1-2-0-3. Springs Valley: Land 6-11-0-99 RECEIVING Paoli: Rominger 1-3. Springs Valley: Keaton Pritchett 2-58, Walls 2-14, Mills 1-14, Chase 1-13.