Scranton Prep Tops Valley View 14-7 Behind McPartland's Pick-Six

Scranton Prep scored on an interception return and a touchdown run in the first half and held on behind a dominant rushing attack to beat Valley View 14-7 on Friday night.

The Cavaliers (8-1) struck first when Braedon McPartland returned an interception 49 yards for a touchdown just over three minutes into the game, with Tyler Bianchi adding the extra point to make it 7-0 with 8:43 left in the first quarter.

Scranton Prep extended its lead in the second quarter when Owen Jeffers scored on a 12-yard run, and Bianchi's second extra point of the night made it 14-0 with 5:08 remaining before halftime.

Valley View (5-4) answered late in the second quarter when Tyler Muchal scored on a 1-yard run, and Braden Loff's extra point cut the deficit to 14-7 with just 34 seconds left before the break. Neither team scored in the second half, and the 14-7 margin held to the final whistle.

Scranton Prep's ground game carried the offense all night. Brandon Farmer led the Cavaliers with 122 yards on 11 carries, and McPartland added 107 yards on 15 carries. Jeffers finished with 58 yards and the rushing touchdown on eight attempts, and Noah Krzywiec chipped in 23 yards on two carries along with a 20-yard reception. As a team, Scranton Prep piled up 309 rushing yards while attempting just six passes, completing two for 18 yards.

Valley View moved the ball as well, finishing with 154 rushing yards and 89 passing yards for 13 first downs. Tristan Smith led the Cougars with 64 yards on 10 carries, and Muchal added 52 yards and the touchdown on 11 attempts. Colin Dempsey completed 7 of 14 passes for 89 yards, spreading the ball to four different receivers. Ben Evans caught one pass for 50 yards, Cash Roe caught two for 23 yards, Marco Ruby caught two for 10 yards and Smith added two receptions for 6 yards.

Defensively, McPartland's interception return for a touchdown proved to be the decisive play of the game for Scranton Prep. Valley View also generated a turnover, as Ben Evans intercepted a pass for the Cougars.

Scranton Prep finished with 14 first downs to Valley View's 13, and each team turned the ball over once. The Cavaliers' ability to control the clock on the ground, particularly behind Farmer and McPartland, limited Valley View's offensive possessions in the second half.

Scranton Prep improved to 8-1 with the win, while Valley View fell to 5-4.