Tug Valley misses playoffs

BY KYLE LOVERN
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

VAN, W.Va. — The Tug Valley Panthers lost their bid to make the Class A playoffs in West Virginia losing their season finale 48-34 to the highly ranked Van Bulldogs Friday night in Boone County.

Tug Valley was in a must-win situation. With a record of 6-3 and ranked No. 16 in the Mountain State, they needed to beat No. 6 ranked Van to make it into the postseason. The top-ranked 16 teams in each class make the playoffs in West Virginia.

The Panthers started out great, taking a 21-0 first quarter lead. However their defense gave up 20 points in both the second and third quarters as they fell behind and were never able to recover. Van added a touchdown and 2-point conversion in the final quarter for their final total.

Tug Valley was able to get TDS in both the third and fourth quarters but could not get over the hump.

Panther’s quarterback Elijah Fluty returned to action after missing two games due to concussion protocol. Jaxon Nenni-Mills also saw action as the Tug Valley signal caller. Fluty was 5-6 passing for 77 yards and a TD, while Nenni-Mills was 8-16 for 105 and a touchdown.

Brady Brewer caught four passes for 72 yards and a pair of touchdowns for TVHS. Bryson Elia rushed for 47 yards and a score, while Adam Slone had 24 yards on the ground and a TD.

Buddy Marcum, Brewer and Slone led the Panthers with eight tackles each, while Tanner Urconis had seven and Elia and Fluty both had six stops.

Caleb Totten kicked four extra points for Tug Valley.

Joseph Stewart led Van with 212 rushing yards and three touchdowns, while Brady Green gained 85 yards on the ground and two scores.

Van finished the season 9-1 and ranked 6th in Class A.

Coach Hady Ford’s young squad finished the season at 6-4 and only loses two seniors off this roster. They are also looking forward to several incoming freshmen next year from the county middle school champs from the combined Kermit-Lenore team that are expected to help right away next season.

SCORE BY QUARTERS:

Tug Valley: 21 0 7 6 – 34

Van: 0 20 20 8 – 48