For the third consecutive game, the Valley City Hi-Liners willed their way to victory, this time with a narrow 23-21 win over the Bismarck St. Mary’s Saints.
The Hi-Liners’ first quarter started with a three-and-out, as the offense sought to rebound from a sub-100-yard performance last week against Jamestown. The Saints quickly drove into the Valley City red zone, threatening to take an early lead. However, Scot Rhode erased the scoring chance by intercepting a screen pass and returning it 30 yards to the Hi-Liners’ 40-yard line.
Later, facing fourth-and-long inside the Saints’ 30-yard line, the Hi-Liners took a shot at the end zone, but Corbyn Powell was unable to secure the pass, resulting in a turnover on downs. On the following drive, St. Mary’s pounded the ball downfield, capping it off with a rushing touchdown early in the second quarter to go up 7-0. After another Valley City three-and-out, the Hi-Liners’ defense came up big, breaking up a pass in the end zone and forcing a turnover on downs.
Valley City quarterback Bryson Heck then delivered a dazzling scramble to keep the ensuing drive alive, pushing the Hi-Liners deep into St. Mary’s territory. Heck connected with Powell on a 25-yard touchdown pass, tying the game at 7-7. After forcing a Saints three-and-out, a muffed punt by Valley City handed St. Mary’s an opportunity to regain the lead before halftime. The Hi-Liners’ defense, however, held strong, sending both teams to the locker room tied at seven.
The third quarter began ominously for Valley City, as their usually strong run defense faltered. St. Mary’s Beckett Price broke free for a 15-yard score, putting the Saints ahead 14-7. With momentum on St. Mary’s side, Powell responded with an 80-yard kickoff return to tie the game. Valley City’s defense forced another stop, and a failed Saints fake punt gave the Hi-Liners possession inside the 10-yard line.
Although St. Mary’s defense held, limiting Valley City to a field goal, those three points were enough to give the Hi-Liners a 17-14 lead. After another defensive stand, Valley City extended their lead to 23-14 on a hard-fought drive capped off by a touchdown from Caden Amann and Heck. Despite a missed PAT, the Hi-Liners seemed to be in control.
The Hi-Liners’ defense continued to stifle St. Mary’s, forcing several key stops. In a pivotal moment, St. Mary’s quarterback Charles Richter was stripped, and Rhode recovered the fumble, allowing Valley City to run the clock down to under two minutes.
St. Mary’s finally responded with a touchdown pass to Connor Schatz, cutting the deficit to two points with just over 50 seconds remaining. However, Powell recovered the ensuing onside kick, and the Hi-Liners kneeled out the clock to secure their third straight victory.
Valley City now turns its focus to a Senior Day showdown against the Watford City Wolves next Friday at 7:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast on 1490 AM/96.3 FM KOVC and streamed on the KOVC TV YouTube channel.