Blue Devils Fall To Baldwyn, Pivotal Game Friday Against Myrtle
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Parker Turnage stretches for extra yards after catching a pass against the Bearcats. Turnage also snagged a touchdown pass, one of two scores for the Blue Devils in their second loss of the season.
BALDWYN – A tough road test on a short week proved costly for Water Valley as the Blue Devils fell 43–13 to the Baldwyn Bearcats in a Thursday night matchup during fall break. The loss drops Water Valley to 5–2 on the season heading into a pivotal division game against Myrtle this week.
The game — the 850th in Blue Devil football history — started with Water Valley marching to the Bearcat’s 41 yard line before stalling.
Baldwyn quickly set the tone with a 54-yard touchdown run on its first possession to grab a 6–0 lead.
Things unraveled from there. On the Blue Devils’ next snap, a fumble deep in their own territory gave the Bearcats a short field and an easy field goal to make it 9–0. Another turnover led to a quick strike — a 46-yard touchdown pass — and by the end of the first quarter, Baldwyn led 16–0 after taking advantage of a blocked punt and two turnovers.
The Devils found life midway through the second quarter when Zae Bradford broke loose for a 16-yard touchdown run, capping a short drive set up by a defensive stop. The score trimmed the deficit to 16–6, but Baldwyn answered before halftime with another long touchdown pass to take a 22–6 lead at the break.
The second half opened with another big play by the Bearcats — a 77-yard touchdown run that put the game out of reach at 29–6. Water Valley managed a few promising drives but couldn’t sustain momentum. A turnover on downs in the red zone and another deep in Bearcat territory kept the Devils from closing the gap.
Late in the fourth quarter, Gale connected with tight end Parker Turnage for an 11-yard touchdown pass to finish the scoring at 43–13.
Head Coach Clint Faust said his team faced adversity all night — both physically and mentally.
“We’ve got some guys banged up and our depth is hurting us right now,” Faust said. “We had some good stops on defense, but we blew a few assignments in the secondary and they got some big plays on us. We never got going on offense like we wanted to.”
Faust said the team continues to work through special teams issues, including special teams on punts, and emphasized that Thursday’s performance must be a turning point.
“We have to learn from it and then flush it,” he said. “I told them we can still go win this district and make a playoff run — it’s all still on the table. But we have to come out more prepared than we were tonight.”
In the postgame huddle, Assistant Coach Rusty Smith told players it was time for self-assessment after the flat showing.
“Look back and think about the week of practice — did we get better every day?” Smith said. “I’m going to look in the mirror and see what I need to fix. I want you to do the same.”
Smith said he planned to spend Friday grading film instead of a day off during fall break.
“I thought I was going to be off on Friday,” he said. “But I’ll be grading our film tonight and watching Myrtle in the morning. I want y’all to grade yourselves, too.”
Assistant Coach Bryant Mix also spoke to the team, reminding them of the standard set by past Water Valley squads.
“Ask yourself, am I giving everything I’m supposed to?” Mix said. “Do I have what I need to be a football player and not a distraction? I’m just calling it like I see it — remember, this is Water Valley football.”
Despite the loss, the Blue Devils showed flashes of what’s worked this season — Bradford’s steady running, Gale’s mobility, and big defensive stops from players like JD Gooch and Kemauri Page, who snagged a first-half interception.
Faust said the focus now shifts to Friday’s home matchup against Myrtle, the first meeting between the two schools and a game that could help decide the Region 2-2A title race.
“Everything we want is still right in front of us,” Faust said. “But it starts with a good week of practice and the right mindset.”
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Friday at Bobby Clark Field.
