FRHS suffers 3-point defeat

GERMANTOWN, Ohio — A group of losses by less than a touchdown halted the Indians’ four-year playoff streak last season.

They fell victim in another narrow defeat Friday.

Fort Recovery High School’s football team had a 10-point lead early before the Valley View Spartans fought back to knock off the visitors 16-13.

The Indians (1-1), who open Midwest Athletic Conference play at home next weekend against Minster, were up 10-7 at halftime, fell behind 13-10 and then pulled even on Cobe Wendel’s 38-yard field goal with 3:44 on the clock in the third quarter.

It took Valley View less than three minutes to reclaim the advantage.

The Spartans (2-0) took the ensuing kickoff and moved the ball to about the Fort Recovery 20-yard line. They stalled there, but Luke Combs connected on a 27-yard field goal for the 16-13 margin that would stand as the final score.

Valley View’s nine third-quarter points turned the game after the Indians, coming off of last week’s blowout of Lehman Catholic, jumped on top early. They scored on their opening possession when Wendel hit the first of his two field goals, a 26-yard boot, and then extended the lead to 10-0 on a Jacob Acheson interception return for a touchdown.

But the Spartans closed the gap to three points before the half on a Cade Cradlebaugh 2-yard TD run, and then pulled ahead in the third quarter.

Cradlebaugh’s 93 yards led Valley View, as it picked up 258 yards on the ground. Lucas Lynch had 87 yards, and Dylan Branham added 70.

Derek Jutte of the Indians was the top runner of the night with 110 yards on 28 carries. Clay Schmitz completed 12 of his 27 passing attempts — six to Regan Martin — for 110 yards.

Owen Schoen paced the Tribe with 13 tackles.