Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

WILLOW WOOD — The Symmes Valley Vikings are rid of the skid.
The Vikings broke a 7-game losing streak to Chesapeake on Friday as they blanked the Panthers 33-0.
The Vikings were able to get the win with a strong running game and a stingy defense that limited Chesapeake to 125 total yards.
Symmes Valley controlled the clock by running 55 times for 353 yards and throwing just one pass which Grayson Walsh completed for 20 yards to Nick Strow.
Levi Best and Ethan Patterson led the ground game with Best getting 124 yards on 12 carries and scoring three touchdowns while Patterson had 101 yards on 17 attempts and a score.
“Levi Best and Ethan Patterson had very good games, but there were a lot of other guys who helped them. Our blocking was much improved from last week,” said Vikings’ coach Rusty Webb.
Besides limiting the Panthers’ offense, the Vikings caused three fumbles and recovered all three with two leading to touchdowns.
Chesapeake had 105 yards rushing with 53 yards coming on the final play of the game against the Vikings’ prevent defense.
“The defense was very stout the whole night. They were flying to the football. We played extremely fast,” said Webb.
After a scoreless first quarter, Grayson Walsh capped a 63-yard, 7-play drive with a 3-yard run and Gavan Yates kicked the conversion for a 7-0 lead.
The lead went to 13-0 as Best scored on a 5-yard run as the Vikings went 51 yards in five plays.
Symmes Valley (3-0) took the second half kickoff and went 63 yards in 10 plays with Patterson scoring on a 1-yard run and it was 19-0.
The Vikings recovered a fumble and then went 67 yards in six plays as Best got his second score on a 27-yard run. Yates added the conversion.
The final scoring drive was the most time-consuming of the five Vikings’ drives as they went 87 yards in nine plays.
Best ran 17 yards for the score and Yates’ conversion capped the scoring.
Dilen Caldwell had 66 yards on seven carries for the Panthers.
Next Friday, Chesapeake goes to Gallipolis for an Ohio Valley Conference game while Symmes Valley travels to Tug Valley, W.Va., for a non-league game.
Chesapeake 0 0 0 0 = 0
Sym. Valley 0 13 6 14 = 33
Second Quarter
SV – Grayson Walsh 3 run (Gavan Yates kick)
SV – Levi Best 5 run (kick failed)
Third Quarter
SV –Ethan Patterson 1 run (kick failed)
Fourth Quarter
SV –Levi Best 27 run (Gavan Yates kick)
SV –Levi Best 17 run (Gavan Yates kick)
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Ch SV
First downs 7 23
Rushes-yards 22-105 55-353
Passing yards 20 20
Total yards 125 373
Cmp-Att-Int 1-7-0 1-10
Fumbles-lost 3-3 0-0
Penalties-yards 3-18 6-50
Punts-average 5-30.6 2-31.5
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Individual Leaders
RUSHING — Chesapeake: Marcus Burnside 8-27, Ben Bragg 7-12, Dilen Caldwell 7-66; Symmes Valley: Levi Best 12-124, Grayson Walsh 13-69, Sam McCleese 3-12, Levi Niece 8-45, Levi Ross 2-2, Ethan Patterson 17-101.
PASSING — Chesapeake: Ben Bragg 1-7-0 20; Symmes Valley: Grayson Walsh 1-1-0 20.
RECEIVING — Chesapeake: Levi Blankenship 1-20; Symmes Valley: Nick Strow 1-20.