Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – Nov. 16, 2024 – Valley View’s flawless season will continue for at least another week, as the top-seeded team advanced to the second round of the postseason with a 51-22 win over Texarkana’s Arkansas High. 

Playing on their home field, the Valley View Blazers took down 6th-seeded Arkansas High with an onslaught in the second half. Valley View continued to look the conference’s best, as the 51 points marked the highest score tally of all 5A East teams in the first round. 

Coming out swinging the Arkansas High Razorbacks, forced a fumble on Valley View’s first possession. With a field position on Valley View’s 28-yard line, Arkansas High would find the endzone, but have the score called back on a holding penalty. They would face 4th and 1 a few plays later and come up short, giving the Blazers possession.

Valley View would not squander points on their next possession.

Advancing the ball on rush attacks from sophomore Carter Wallace and completing passes to seniors Laird Cullen and Tripp Dale, the Blazers scored a touchdown from just over a yard out when quarterback Drew Gartman forced his way in on a sneak. After Zach Brown’s successful point after touchdown, the score was 7-0 halfway through the first quarter. 

Arkansas High’s next drive evaporated after two plays courtesy of an interception. Obtaining a field position on their own 45-yard line, a pair of screen passes preceded the Blazers next score.

Senior running back Anthony Feliz seized the opportunity to double the lead. He darted straight ahead through a large gap on a 34-yard touchdown run. Another point after touchdown saw Valley View ahead 14-0. 

A few possessions later, Arkansas High fumbled on a high snap that fell into their own endzone. Unable to recover the ball, the Razorbacks’ deficit grew to another touchdown. The Blazers added 3 points on their following possession giving them their largest lead of the game at 24-0 with just over 5 minutes left to play in the first half.

Razorback sophomore Tony Noble Jr. took a short pass 38 yards into the endzone, and the two-point conversion was good. Suddenly, Arkansas High found themselves trailing by just two possessions. The score was 24-8. 

Arkansas High’s resilience was swiftly met with an 80-yard answer from Wallace. Gartman lofted a pass to the wide-open Wallace who ran down the sidelines for the score. A failed two-point conversion attempt left the score 30-8.

The visitors started on their own 42-yard line after a long return. A 27-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback William Dunbar to junior receiver Deandre Burnell brought Arkansas High back to within two possessions as the first half ended 30-14. 

In the second half, Dunbar found another receiver, this time fellow senior Malek Dangerfield for a 24-yard touchdown pass. A successful two-point conversion this time brought Arkansas High back within a possession. The score was 30-22 halfway through the third quarter. 

Dangerfield made another momentous play on the other side of the ball when he intercepted Gartman on the next drive. However, the Valley View defense held up and brought Arkansas High to a punt after three plays.

Gartman and the Blazers drove down the field, but a run up the middle on 4th and 1 led to a collision which took Gartman out of the game. Junior Parker King relieved Gartman while the injury was assessed.

King was brought down a yard shy of the endzone on his first play but was given another run and brought the lead to 37-22 as the third period waned. 

The Blazers kept the 15-point lead safe, even expanding on it with two more scores in the fourth. Gartman would return and find King to set up another Wallace touchdown run, this one good for 43 yards.

The other score would come from a drive started by an interception when junior defensive back Rylan Ramsey anticipated an out route. Wallace made good on the field position, scoring a few plays later on a 26-yard run. 

Brown’s extra point made it 51-22, and the Blazers ran out the clock. Gartman’s final kneel solidified the win and directed the conference champions into the second round. 

Gartman said he “feels good now” after getting hit. The quarterback said he just needed a “second to breathe and talk to the trainers.”

Gartman added that another important component was the offensive line, as they “created perfect holes for the runners.” He credited their performance for the big plays. 

Valley View will stay at home for the next round due to their top seed. The team will face Morrilton (5-2 conf, 9-2 overall).

Morrilton came in as the fourth seed in the 5A West Conference and beat Searcy 56-35 in round one. The teams will look to repeat the explosive scoring attacks when they meet up next week.