Del Sol downs Valley despite injury trouble

Del Sol’s top three running backs spent nearly all of the third quarter in Friday’s season opener on the sidelines thanks to cramps brought on by dehydration.

But the damage the Dragons’ running game did in the other three quarters proved too much for host Valley to overcome.

Senior running back Dezerick Reed rushed for 206 yards and two touchdowns to power Del Sol to a 35-12 victory over the Vikings in the season debut for both teams.

Dragons coach Preston Goroff said he was somewhat surprised his team was able to come away with a win with all the injury problems it endured.

“I have never in my 16 years of coaching seen anything like this,” Goroff said. “We had half of our offense and half of our defense out at times tonight. I’m not sure how we pulled this off. We stressed getting hydrated this week, but we are just really happy we stuck it out and got the win.”

Before pain in his legs forced him from the game in the third quarter, Reed was a constant source of displeasure for Valley’s defense.

After a Vikings score on the first play of the second quarter trimmed the Dragons lead to 13-12, Reed sparked a seven-play, 70-yard Del Sol drive — capped by a 44-yard scoring run right through the heart of the defense — that put his team in control.

Reed also scored on a 1-yard run on the game’s fourth play. That TD was set up by his 37-yard run on Del Sol’s first offensive play. He finished the first half with 165 yards on 16 carries.

“Del Sol is a power team, and we just pounded it in, pounded it in all night,” Reed said. “It was important to set the tone for the season, that we are a power team. The O-line did a great job tonight, and I think we really stepped it up for a young team.”

Chris Marshall had 18 carries for 71 yards and a score for the Dragons, who outrushed Valley 331-67. Marshall and Jason Meuir, who had 51 rushing yards, joined Reed on the sideline during a scoreless third quarter, but all three saw action in the fourth quarter.

Quarterback Troy Miller, who played the entire contest, had a 1-yard touchdown run and threw a 16-yard TD pass to Daniel Doph for Del Sol.

For Valley, Garic Wharton had an 80-yard kickoff return touchdown in the first quarter. Wallace Dean tossed a 35-yard touchdown pass to Mitchell Deas for Valley to cut the Dragons lead to 13-12 on the first play of the second quarter.

But the Vikings could not score again, as two second half drives stalled inside the Dragons 10.

“We bent and let them down there, but we didn’t break. That’s kind of our motto on defense, and it was a gutsy performance by those young men,” Goroff said. “Overall, it was just a gritty team win.”