Valley City Hi-Liners secured a 27-18 win over the Watford City Wolves on Senior Day, improving their record to 4-3, marking the first time this season they’ve been over .500.
The first quarter moved quickly, with both teams managing just one possession. Valley City opened with a methodical drive, mixing short passes and powerful runs, which culminated in a touchdown run by Caden Amann, giving them a 7-0 lead. Watford City responded with their veer offense, advancing downfield primarily on the ground before Trysten DeVries caught a 20-yard touchdown pass. A missed two-point conversion kept Valley City ahead, 7-6, at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, the Hi-Liners once again pushed into Wolves territory. Facing a 4th-and-15, quarterback Bryson Heck launched a deep pass to Koltyn Grebel, who caught it for a touchdown, extending the lead. Valley City’s defense followed up with a crucial stop, leading to another touchdown and a 20-6 advantage. Watford City threatened late in the half, but two failed pass attempts to the end zone kept the Hi-Liners up by two touchdowns at halftime.
The Wolves opened the second half with a methodical eight-minute drive, capped by a short touchdown run. However, another missed two-point conversion left them trailing 20-12. With 10 minutes left, Watford City’s defense made a momentum-shifting stop on 4th down. Their offense responded with another time-consuming drive, scoring on a short run by Paco Baldenegro to close the gap to 20-18. Yet again, the Wolves failed to convert the two-point attempt, keeping Valley City ahead by two.
With just over five minutes to play, the Hi-Liners faced a crucial 3rd-and-long. Heck connected with Derek Shape on a quick screen that went 79 yards for a game-sealing touchdown, putting Valley City ahead 27-18. Watford City’s final drive was cut short by an interception from Jamison Mutschler, allowing the Hi-Liners to run out the clock with a couple of carries by Kaleb McClaflin.
Valley City will next face Dickinson on Thursday, October 17th. The game can be heard on 1490 AM/96.3 FM KOVC.