Redbank Valley’s Rylan Rupp intercepted a pass in the second quarter, thwarting a potential Union/AC Valley drive that could have tied the game. The play was a turning point and led the Bulldogs to a 49-13 victory over the Falcon Knights./Photo by Madison McFarland
NEW BETHLEHEM, Pa. (EYT) – Rylan Rupp showed his approach speed.
Redbank Valley’s senior defensive back was beaten on a pass play as the Bulldogs held on to a 13-7 lead and Union/AC Valley applied pressure in the second quarter.
But Rupp turned a potential disaster into one of the most significant plays for Redbank Valley: He sprinted back, intercepted the pass and thwarted a Falcon Knights attack.
It was a crucial play and a turning point for the newly formed Bulldogs, who used the turnaround to defeat Union/AC Valley 49-13 at home in the season opener on Friday night.
“He actually got hit on the play,” Redbank Valley coach Blane Gold said. “He was able to recover well and catch a ball in the red zone. Rylan played a phenomenal game tonight. He made some incredible catches. He definitely came to play.”
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Max Gallagher had come behind Rupp with Union/AC Valley at Redbank Valley’s 30-yard line and was aiming for a possible equalizer midway through the second quarter.
Rupp turned, undercut Gallagher and was able to intercept an important pass with the pass thrown too short.
It was a daunting game for the Falcon Knights, who faced the defending District 9 Class A champions on equal terms for much of the first two quarters.
The Bulldogs got off to a quick start, taking a 13-0 lead with a 7-yard touchdown run by quarterback Braylon Wagner and a 35-yard touchdown pass from Wagner to Rupp.
But Union/AC Valley reduced the lead to 13-7 with a 1-yard run by Bish.
Another Falcon Knights turnover in the second quarter, this time a fumble, led to a Redbank drive that ended with a 1-yard touchdown run by Jaxon Huffman with 1:18 left in the first half, giving the Bulldogs a 21-7 halftime lead.
Redbank Valley pulled ahead in the third quarter with a 5-yard touchdown run by Austin Eastlick, a 20-yard touchdown pass from Wagner to Huffman and a 27-yard touchdown pass from Wagner to freshman Breckin Minich, taking a 42-13 lead after three quarters.
Jorge Reyes gave Union/AC Valley a glimmer of hope with a 50-yard touchdown run, briefly cutting the Bulldogs’ lead to 28-13.
Wagner finished the game with a 4-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter.
The junior quarterback completed 21 of 30 passes for 325 yards and scored three touchdowns, as well as two rushing TDs.
“That’s what we need from Braylon,” Gold said. “Maybe we don’t need him to have anywhere near 50 (touchdown passes) through the air. We need to try to make him a little more balanced by letting him score with his legs and his arm.”
The results were the same for Redbank Valley. However, the way it was conducted was different from the past.
The Bulldogs relied on a running game that, while not flashy, was effective, gaining five or six yards in no time and letting the clock run wild.
Eastlick and Wagner led the way on the ground, with Eastlick finishing with 67 yards and a touchdown.
Huffman also caught ten passes for 112 yards.
The offensive performance was all the more impressive because the Bulldogs started with two new offensive guards – Malachi Stewart and Jace Huffman.
Both did well.
“Let me put it this way,” Gold said. “In the practice game last week, they stood out. This week, they didn’t stand out at all, which was a good thing.”
“We probably ran the ball better than we have in three or four years,” Gold added. “Last year we couldn’t run the ball against them. When you put two freshmen at guard, we were pleasantly surprised.”
Although his team played well at times, Union/AC Valley coach Dan Reed was left with an uneasy feeling after the loss, wondering what could have been.
He complained that things got out of control after the crucial turnovers in the first half.
“We did some good things, but overall I’m pretty disappointed,” Reed said. “I think we didn’t play the right way when we had the chance. We didn’t tackle well on defense. We didn’t show the physicality we needed on defense. Overall, I think we were pretty sloppy on both sides of the ball. So that’s something that needs to change.”
Bish finished the game completing 11 of 19 passes for 143 yards. Reyes rushed for 62 yards on five carries and Gallagher caught six passes for 58 yards and had 11 tackles on defense.
If there is a silver lining for the Falcon Knights, it is only Week 1.
“We told the guys before the game that winning or losing is only 10% of our regular season,” Reed said. “We have to make sure we get better every week and I think they’re ready to take that on. Hopefully we have a good week of practice next week and can show them what we can do next week against Ridgway.”
Like Reed, Gold said there were things he saw with his team that needed to be improved.
It feels much better to do that when the score is 1-0 than when the score is 0-1.
“There are some things that definitely need to be fixed,” the coach said. “We allowed some big plays on defense. We pulled together well to prevent points. We improved from last week to this week and that was important. Our first goal was to improve from last week.”
Redbank Valley, Keystone and Union/AC Valley sports coverage on Explore and D9Sports.com is brought to you by Heeter Lumber.
