WILLIAMSTOWN - For the first five minutes of Friday night's Tri-Valley League game between Line Mountain and Williams Valley, the Eagles held the upper hand.
After the first quarter, it was all Williams Valley.
Behind the stellar play of senior quarterback Stephen Sedesse, the Vikings overcame an early safety, passing and running their way to a 39-2 victory over the Eagles.
Line Mountain (1-3, 0-3 TVL) held Williams Valley (4-0, 3-0) at bay for most of the first quarter, taking the opening kickoff and marching 78 yards only to come up empty on a fourth-and-goal at the Vikings' 2.
On the very next play, Williams Valley running back Cole Barnhardt was drilled in the end zone by Line Mountain's Rayce Boyer for the game's first points - a safety.
The Eagles held that 2-0 advantage the entire first quarter until Williams Valley put together a grinding 15-play, 58-yard drive capped by a Sedesse to Barnhardt 11-yard touchdown pass.
The senior QB completed 17-of-23 passes for 264 yards and four touchdowns. He connected with Barnhardt later in the quarter for a 25-yard strike with just under two minutes remaining in the half.
The game, for argument's sake, was won in the second quarter as the Vikings kept Line Mountain's defense on the field and took advantage of a special teams' play shortly after scoring the go-ahead touchdown.
An onside kick recovered by Williams Valley's Matt Miller set up an eight-play, 45-yard drive. Sedesse finished the drive with a 7-yard, down-and-out strike to Cody Miller. The 5-foot-11 junior finished with nine receptions and 170 yards.
Sedesse's ability to run or pass was just too much for the Eagles to handle.
"His pocket presence has gotten so much better from last year," Vikings' coach Tim Savage said of Sedesse's play. "Now he understands our pass protection scheme and he's improved his footwork. His overall command behind the line of scrimmage is outstanding.
"We try to get all the athletes involved. I thought tonight we did that."
Williams Valley was able to prove Savage's words with a horde of runners rushing the football and at least three reliable receivers to catch Sedesse's passes.
Ahead by 18 points to start the second half, Williams Valley made a quick, three-play strike as Barnhardt electrified the home crowd with a 51-yard touchdown run down the visitor's sideline.
The Eagles' offense, which amassed just 94 total offensive yards, went three-and-out on its next offensive series and the Vikings responded.
This time it was an 11-play drive capped by Trevor Whelski's 4-yard touchdown run to increase Williams Valley's lead to 32-2 with 2:52 remaining in the third quarter.
Though Line Mountain put together an impressive drive to answer, it couldn't get into the end zone as Hunter Hojnacki was stopped by Albert Wolfgang on a fourth-and-8 from the Vikings' 22.
Cody Miller then showed exactly why he's one of the better receivers in the Tri-Valley League as he caught a swing pass to his left, broke free from two would-be tacklers and raced 75 yards to score the game's final points for the Vikings.
"Williams Valley played a heck of a game and they have a nice combination of kids and they're experienced," Line Mountain coach Rodney Knock said. "We just have to learn how to play a whole football game."