PINE GROVE — Tri-Valley hoisted a trophy Friday night.
In the process, the Bulldogs continued their drive for a potential league championship game in two weeks.
Jaden Buchanan threw for 79 yards, while Tyler Lucas scored two touchdowns during Tri-Valley’s 42-6 Tri-Valley League victory over Pine Grove in the annual West End Gridiron Bowl game at Cardinal Stadium.
Tri-Valley led 7-0 after the first quarter, then put the game away with 28 points in the second quarter to go up 35-0, putting the Mercy Rule in effect for the second half.
The Bulldogs (7-1, 6-0 Tri-Valley League) got to raise the West End Gridiron Bowl trophy after the game, with a showdown with Newport (7-1, 6-0) looming in Week 10 that should decide the league title.
Tri-Valley travels to East Juniata next Friday.
The Buffaloes remained perfect in league play with a 48-0 rout of Upper Dauphin on Friday. Newport hosts Halifax next week.
“Against Pine Grove tonight, it was preparing us for Newport,” said Tri-Valley running back Dawson Schwalm, who finished the night with 71 carries. “The last game, it is very important to us. It is going to pretty much decide our league.”
Still, the Bulldogs couldn’t look past the Cardinals (1-7, 0-7), who had beaten Tri-Valley the previous two years. But the more experienced Bulldogs were just too much for the young Cardinals on Friday.
“They took it to us the last two years,” Tri-Valley coach Mike Ulicny said. “We expect these kids to come out fired up and they did. When you are playing seniors and juniors and they are playing a lot of freshman and sophomores, it is a mismatch.
“They (Pine Grove) played hard. They didn’t quit.”
Lucas added 71 yards rushing, scoring Tri-Valley’s last touchdown on a 9-yard run early in the third quarter. Lucas also caught a 20-yard scoring pass from Buchanan in the second quarter.
Buchanan finished the night 6-of-6 for 79 yards and two touchdown passes in less than a half of work. He also caught a 50-yard strike from Logan Yoder over the middle late in the first half for a 35-0 Tri-Valley lead at the intermission.
In all, the Bulldogs finished the night with 318 yards of offense, including 189 on the ground. Tri-Valley’s rushing attack has become more of committee approach since Danny Scheib went down with a torn ACL during a 35-0, Week 4 loss to Jim Thorpe.
“Ever since he got injured, me, Chase Schaeffer, and Tyler Lucas have all shared a role a running back,” Schwalm said. “We’ve been doing well because our line has been blocking well.”
That’s what Tri-Valley did on its first offensive series, an eight-play, 47-yard drive that ended with a 2-yard plunge by Jaden Buchanan.
The Bulldogs opened it up more in their second possession, and the rest of the half. In fact, Tri-Valley had two touchdown passes called back on penalties on its second possession, but the Bulldogs ended up scoring on the drive anyhow on Buchanan’s 10-yard pass to Schaeffer.
Defensively, the Bulldogs held Pine Grove to 23 yards of offense in the first half and 65 for the game. Most of those yards came on the Cardinals’ final possession, a 16-play, 71-yard march that ended with a 2-yard plunge by quarterback Jacob Leininger.
“Last week we started against Halifax (a 54-21 Tri-Valley win) and we let them in the game the first quarter,” Ulicny said. “We were flat. Our kids were focused tonight. ... They know what is down the road and what is coming up. If we can get through next week, will are going to be playing for a league championship in Week 10.”
Game Summary
TV (7-1, 6-0) 7 28 7 0 — 42
PG (1-7, 0-7) 0 0 0 6 — 6
TV — J. Buchanan 2 run (Snyder kick)
TV — Schaeffer 10 run (A. Buchanan pass from Yoder)
TV — Kroh 14 pass from J. Buchanan (L. Schwalm kick)
TV — T. Lucas 20 pass from J. Buchanan (kick failed)
TV — J. Buchanan 50 pass from Yoder (L. Schwalm kick)
TV — T. Lucas 9 run (Snyder kick)
PG — Leininger 2 run (kick failed)
TV PG
First Downs 14 6
Rushes-Yards 29-189 32-61
Passes 7-8-0 1-5-0
Passing Yards 129 4
Total Yards 318 65
Fumbles-Lost 1-0 3-1
Penalties 2-15 2-30
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
RUSHING: Tri-Valley — D. Schwalm 9-71, T. Lucas 4-71, Schaeffer 5-34, L. Yoder 3-12, J. Buchanan 5-5, I. Lucas 3-(-4). Pine Grove — Lehman 9-39, Lutz 6-32, Ney 4-4, Leininger 11-0, Luckenbill 1-(-1), Team 1-(-13).
PASSING: Tri-Valley — J. Buchanan 6-6-0, 79; Yoder 1-2-0, 50. Pine Grove — Leininger 1-5-0, 4.
RECEIVING: Tri-Valley — J. Buchanan 1-50, A. Buchanan 1-28, T. Lucas 2-27, Schaeffer 2-16, Kroh 1-8. Pine Grove — Luckenbille 2-4.
INTERCEPTIONS: None