92.1 KMZA Broadcast - Centralia at Valley Heights - click here to listen

Big implications surrounded week eight showdown in the Twin Valley League as Centralia traveled to Blue Rapids for a showdown with Valley Heights. After a back and forth game that featured four lead changes and a late stand in the final 40 seconds that lifted by Centralia to the 30-22 win. 

The game started off with a bang for Centralia as Panthers busted a 66-yard kickoff return b Kamble Haverkamp to set up a short field and ultimately start the game with a touchdown as Isaac Gore punched it in from four-yards out and with the extra point made it 7-0 with 9:45 left in the first quarter. Valley Heights had a quick answer on their second offensive play as Jordan Yungeberg went up the middle for an 86-yard touchdown run and then took the lead on a Cameron Beardsley run on the two-point conversion to lead 8-7 with 8:53 left in first quarter. 

Defensive stops finished the first quarter and into the second the contest went as a one-point contest. Centralia swung the lead back in their favor orchestrating a 12-play drive that covered 82-yards and finished with a five-yard touchdown run by Trenton Flentie and two-point conversion to give the Panthers a 15-8 lead with 8:20 left in the first half. Valley Heights once again had an answer as they opened up the triple option sprinkling in the pass and Beardsley hit Harrison Blaske for a 63-yard touchdown pass on a wide open play and with the two-point conversion run by Yungeberg Valley Heights owned a 16-15 advantage. As the clock ticked away towards halftime Centralia worked their way into the redzone and inside the five-yard line lookign to regain the lead but a fumble by Gore was scooped in the endzone by the Mustangs and Valley Heights would go into intermission up 16-15. 

Up by one and getting the ball in the second half Valley Heights had all the momentum and put together a 12-play drive that covered 60-yards to extend their lead on a two-yard touchdown run by Cole Coggins. The Mustangs went for two to take a two-score lead by a penalty on initial try pushed them back and then the attempt failed and it was 22-15 with 6:21 remaining in the third. Less than a minute later Centralia had the lead back in their favor as Flentie busted a 66-yard run for nearly a touchdown and that setup a seven-yard scamper into the endzone for Gore and with the two-point conversion Centralia led 23-22. Centralia grew the lead after getting the ball on a turnover on downs after a bad snap on a punt for Valley Heights which led to a short field and a 28-yard touchdown run by Flentie to make it 30-22 with the extra point with 1:38 left in the third quarter. 

Neither team scored in the fourth quarter but Valley Heights down by eight forced a Centralia punt with just under seven minutes left to go in the contest and put together a 18+ play drive that got them down to the seven yard. After a pair of fourth down conversions on the drive a fourth and seven with 38.8 left loomed for Valley Heights on the seven and the Mustangs tired a pass play that came up empty and the Panthers held for the 30-22 win. 

The win for Centralia won them the Twin Valley League 11-man title, clinched them a playoff in Class 2-1A and set them up for an opportunity to win the District next week all while moving their record to 6-2. In the win Centralia ran for 350 yards with Flentie and Gore amassing most of them as Trenton posted a 226 yard night on 22 carries with two scores and Gore ran for 113 yards on 17 carries with a pair of touchdowns. Flentie's performance earned him Community National Bank "Player to Bank On" honors on KMZA.

Valley Heights with the loss now sits at 6-2 and saw their playoff hopes be dashed with the loss. Jordan Yungeberg led the team on the night with 205 yards rushing on 28 carries with a touchdown, while Coggins added a touchdown run and Beardsley tossed the 63-yard touchdown to Blaske. 

Centralia wraps up the regular season next week with a matchup at home against Jackson Heights for the 2-1A District 2 title on Friday, October 27th, while Valley Heights play Washington County also on Friday in a game that as already been forfeited but as an 11-Man game.