Blue Devils Handle Vardaman, Rivalry With Bruce Looms

By Editor | October 1, 2025 |

Derion Gale wraps up a Vardaman ball carrier as J.D. Gooch and Drake Mabary close in for the stop during Friday night’s 41-8 Blue Devil win.

WATER VALLEY – In their first meeting with Vardaman since 1955, the Water Valley Blue Devils turned the night into a showcase of offense, defense, and special teams, rolling to a 41-8 victory at Bobby Clark Field last Friday night. The win pushed the Devils to 4-1 on the season and gave them the momentum they wanted heading into their first division game this Friday against undefeated Bruce.

The Devils received the opening kick and went right to work from their 30. Quarterback Derion Gale handed to senior tailback Zae Bradford, who plowed ahead for seven yards. After Gale kept for two more, the Rams stacked the line on third down and stopped Bradford short. On fourth-and-one, Gale tucked it for the first down, only to have it wiped away by a holding flag. Forced to punt, Gale sent a kick deep with no return set up, pinning Vardaman at its 35.

The Rams looked ready to answer, pushing the ball to midfield behind their quarterback’s legs, but Gooch jarred the ball loose on a run, and although Vardaman recovered, the drive was hampered. On fourth down, the Rams lined up to punt, and that’s when Water Valley’s special teams made their first statement. The rush broke through and smothered the kick, setting up the Devils at the Rams’ six-yard line. On the very next play, Gale turned and handed to Bradford, who rumbled untouched for the night’s first touchdown. Butler’s extra point made it 7-0 with 6:22 left in the quarter.

Butler boomed the kickoff into the end zone for a touchback, and Vardaman tried to mount an answer. A pair of quarterback keepers and a jet sweep had the Rams driving, eventually reaching first-and-goal at the Blue Devil seven. The home crowd stiffened with the defense. After a facemask penalty, Vardaman was inches away from the end zone, but the Devils turned them back. A third-down stand pushed the Rams back four yards, and on fourth down, the field goal try was blocked — the second special teams highlight in as many possessions.
The Devils took over on their own 11 and began chewing up yardage behind Bradford’s legs. Gale mixed in keepers and short passes, and Page pulled in a first down grab despite a block-in-the-back flag. The drive built momentum, and Gale capped it with a strike to Page down to the Rams’ 15. Bradford finished it with style, hurdling a defender on a seven-yard scoring run that brought the crowd to its feet. Butler’s kick stretched the lead to 14-0.

The defense wasn’t done. Freshman linebacker De’Marea Johnson flew to the ball on back-to-back plays, snuffing out Vardaman’s next chance. The Rams punted, and Gale once again had the Devils in business. A 24-yard strike to Page set the Devils at the Rams’ 21, and Bradford bulled through defenders on a 17-yard touchdown run. In a matter of minutes, it was 21-0, and the Devils were in full control heading into the break.

The second half opened with more of the same. After Water Valley forced a quick punt, Gale kept it himself, cutting across the grain and racing 36 yards for a touchdown. The kick missed, but the lead swelled to 27-0 with 7:13 in the third quarter.

The only blemish of the night came moments later. Vardaman found a receiver wide open for a 53-yard touchdown, and a two-point conversion made it 27-8. But the Devils answered without hesitation. Gale connected with Parker Turnage for a first down, then kept it himself again, slicing through tacklers for a 22-yard touchdown that rebuilt the cushion to 34-8 late in the third.

The fourth quarter belonged to the younger players and to sophomore back Landyn Logan. After pounding out runs of 14 and 30 yards, Logan broke free around the edge for an 18-yard touchdown, the first of his varsity career. Butler’s kick made it 41-8, and the running clock drained away the rest of the night.

Even with subs on the field, the defense kept coming. Johnson added more tackles, and the Rams coughed up the ball deep in their own territory. Backup quarterback Easton Newman directed the closing series, and Johnson even lined up in the backfield for a 21-yard run that had the home crowd roaring. A final Vardaman completion in the closing seconds was only window dressing on a game dominated by blue jerseys.

Bradford carried the load early, finishing with three touchdowns. Gale added two rushing scores and kept the offense humming. Page was a steady target, while Logan provided a glimpse of the future. On defense, Gooch, Johnson, and the front line kept the Rams bottled up all night. Special teams were difference-makers, with two blocked kicks and a flawless kicking game from Butler.

For Head Coach Clint Faust, it was exactly the kind of night he had been waiting for. “Unlike a few earlier games, we finally put four quarters together and put somebody away,” Faust said. “I was pleased with the offense, defense, and special teams. Special teams are coming through — they are giving us an extra score or an extra possession per game. That is huge.”

Now the challenge grows. Water Valley opens division play this Friday night at home against rival Bruce. The Trojans are undefeated at 5-0, and Faust knows what’s at stake. “Friday night is a big rivalry game against what I call the ‘School Down the Road,’” he said.

“Hopefully we got some confidence in this game, a big win that propels us into next week. I told my players, can we duplicate it? Bruce has some good players, they are coached well, and they are going to be ready to go. They probably have this date circled on their calendar. I’m going to tell my players, five-and-0 Bruce, we got to get ready.”

Water Valley has beaten Bruce 12 straight times, with the Trojans’ last win coming in 2008. The series renews this Friday, Oct. 3, at Bruce in what promises to be one of the biggest games of the year.

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