Smoke In The Air, Fire On The Field
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Water Valley players huddle with Head Coach Clint Faust after Friday night’s 21-20 win over Myrtle. The smiles said it all as the Blue Devils celebrated their biggest victory of the season, improving to 6-2 and remaining unbeaten in Region 2-2A play.
WATER VALLEY — The Blue Devils edged the Myrtle Hawks 21-20 Friday night on Bobby Clark Field — and that’s not just a figure of speech. Somewhere beyond the north end zone, a “considerate” neighbor’s backyard burn that smelled suspiciously like melted Tupperware sent a haze drifting over the field that lingered through much of the second half.
But even with the haze, Water Valley’s focus was clear. The Blue Devils built a 21-6 halftime lead, then held off a late Myrtle rally to notch their sixth win of the season and stay in the driver’s seat for the Region 2-2A title.
Zae Bradford and Shaddai Freeman celebrate after connecting on a touchdown pass.
Head Coach Clint Faust didn’t hide the emotion after the game — or the gamble. Facing fourth-and-short near midfield with less than two minutes left, Faust kept the offense on the field.
“I believe in my kids, I believe in our coaching staff,” said an emotional Coach Clint Faust. “We put in the work. We were due one. Since I’ve been here as head coach, this is probably the biggest program win we’ve had. It gets us going in the right direction — the guys can see they can be the top dog.”
The decisive first down sealed the 21-20 win, a play that had the packed home stands erupting through the haze.
The victory improved the Devils to 6-2 overall and 2-0 in Region 2-2A play, keeping them in control of their postseason path. It also marked a moment of redemption after last week’s loss to Baldwyn.
Water Valley received the opening kick near midfield after a short boot by Myrtle and immediately set the tone. Running back Tre Adams, back after missing several games with injury, carried on three straight plays before quarterback Zae Bradford kept it for a 15-yard gain to the 23. The Devils methodically pounded to the goal line, and Bradford finished the 10-play drive with a four-yard keeper. Gabe Butler’s kick made it 7-0 midway through the first quarter.
Myrtle’s first possession ended on a fourth-down stop at the Blue Devil 27 after Kaleb Vire blew up a second-down run and Nehemiah Brown and Parker Turnage stuffed another at the line. Taking over deep in their own territory, the Devils were pushed back by a holding penalty before Zae Bradford hit Parker Turnage for 16 yards to the 31. On third down he went deep to Derion Gale, who hauled in a 44-yard pass to the Hawks’ 25. A few plays later, Bradford finished the drive with a five-yard touchdown run, and Gabe Butler’s extra point made it 14-0 with 9:28 left in the second quarter.
The Hawks finally answered late in the half with a six-yard touchdown run, but their missed kick left the score 14-6. Water Valley responded quickly. Bradford led a crisp 71-yard drive capped by a perfect 26-yard touchdown throw to Shaddai Freeman with 47 seconds remaining. Butler stayed perfect, and the Devils led 21-6 at halftime.
Myrtle came out grinding after the break, using its size up front to chew clock and close the gap. The Hawks scored from three yards midway through the third quarter but failed on the two-point try. Their defense stiffened, forcing Water Valley to punt. A booming effort by Gale pinned Myrtle on its own one-yard line. Still, the Hawks methodically marched the length of the field in the fourth quarter, punching in another three-yard touchdown and converting the two-pointer to pull within 21-20 with just over three minutes to play.
The onside kick popped straight into the arms of Braylon Benson, who wisely went down to protect possession at the Water Valley 25-yard line. The Devils needed just one first down to seal the win, but a false start and a disputed call backed them up and kept the crowd anxious. Myrtle used its final timeout with 1:58 remaining, setting up a tense fourth-and-one at the Blue Devil 35. Coach Clint Faust never hesitated — he kept the offense on the field.
Bradford recovered a high snap, surged ahead for two yards, and the Devils sealed it. The offense shifted to victory formation and knelt twice as the clock hit zero.
“I think we played a good four quarters,” Faust said afterward. “We played physical. I was worried because they had some 300-pound guys up front, but we used our speed and technique to get back there and make tackles. They locked in a lot better tonight after last week’s loss. This was a back-on-track week.”
Bradford finished with roughly 72 rushing yards on 13 carries, including two touchdown runs of 4 and 5 yards, and completed 7 of 10 passes for 108 yards and a touchdown to Shaddai Freeman. Tre Adams carried 15 times for 48 yards, returning strong from injury to anchor the ground game. Derion Gale caught two passes for 54 yards, handled punting duties with an average of just over 40 yards per punt, and added a key pass breakup in the red zone. Freeman hauled in two receptions for 36 yards, including the 26-yard touchdown just before halftime.
Defensively, JD Gooch recorded a first-half sack and several backfield tackles, while Kaleb Vire, Parker Turnage, Nehemiah Brown, and Elijah Pegues each made critical stops near the line of scrimmage. Their containment and pressure in the second half limited Myrtle’s heavier front and helped preserve the one-point win.
When it was over, Faust gathered his players near midfield and reminded them how much was still on the line. “You put yourself in the driver’s-seat position,” he told them. “But we want to leave no doubt that everything in this region runs through Water Valley.”
The Blue Devils return home Friday for Senior Night against Strayhorn, aiming to keep their region record unblemished — hopefully with less smoke in the air but the same fire on the field.
