Blue Devils Break Away From Walnut To Advance In Playoffs
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WATER VALLEY – The first half was choppy, the flags were flying, and frustration hung in the air as Water Valley struggled to find its footing in the opening round of the playoffs Friday night. But when the second half kicked off, everything changed.
The Blue Devils found their groove on both sides of the ball, turned a one-score game into a rout, and rolled past Walnut 34–8 to keep their postseason run alive.
The win moves the Blue Devils to 9–2 overall after the team finished regular season play with a perfect 4–0, and sets up a second-round showdown at home this Friday night against a physical Kemper County squad.
Coach Clint Faust said he was proud of his team’s composure after an uneven start. “I’m extremely proud of the guys overcoming some tough situations, mainly in the first half,” Faust said. “We had some calls in certain situations that limited us from scoring and taking the game over early. The guys rebounded at halftime and took control in the second half.”
The first quarter was a tug of war, both teams testing each other’s lines. Water Valley struck first when quarterback Zae Bradford opened the Devils’ first possession with a deep throw that drew a pass interference flag, setting up a short field. Moments later, Tre Adams took a handoff 17 yards for the touchdown, and Gabe Butler’s kick made it 7–0.
Walnut answered with a grinding drive that chewed up nearly half the second quarter. The Wildcats converted two fourth downs and finally broke through on a 15-yard end-around to tie the game. A fake kick turned into a two-point conversion, giving Walnut an 8–7 lead midway through the second quarter.
The lead didn’t last long. Bradford engineered a quick response, helped by a fumble recovery from J.D. Gooch that flipped field position. With just over two minutes left in the half, the sophomore quarterback sprinted around the right edge for a 12-yard touchdown. Running the swinging gate, Bradford kept the ball again for a two-point conversion and a 15–8 lead at the break.
The Blue Devil defense set the tone early in the third quarter. Kaleb Vire, Gooch, and Jaquaylon Scott closed gaps fast, forcing the Wildcats into third-and-long situations and a string of punts. Water Valley’s offense finally found rhythm midway through the period, wearing Walnut down behind hard runs from Adams and Bradford.
Penalties slowed the Devils through most of the third quarter, but their patience paid off early in the fourth. Adams capped a 62-yard drive with a six-yard touchdown run to stretch the lead to 21–8. Butler’s extra point was no good, but by then, the tide had turned for good.
A short punt set up another quick score when De’Marea Johnson punched in an eight-yard run to make it 28–8. The younger players finished it off, with Braylon Benson breaking loose for a 20-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter. Walnut’s final possession ended near midfield as the clock expired, sealing a decisive playoff victory for the Devils.
Faust praised his defense for keeping the Wildcats bottled up when the offense sputtered early. He also noted that several younger players saw action in the final quarter. “They deserved a little playing time for all their hard work,” he said. “We’re fairly healthy for this time of year, and nobody got anything major Friday night.”
Now the focus shifts to Kemper County, a team that’s better than its 5–6 record suggests. The Wildcats from DeKalb come to Bobby Clark Field after shutting out J.Z. George 38–0 and have an Ole Miss commit in the backfield.
“Kemper County is a good team,” Faust said. “They’re athletic and physical. We’ll need to play good team football in all phases of the game. We’ve got some pretty good football players on our team, too.”
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Friday at Bobby Clark Field.
