Spring Valley’s Austin Hill throws a pass against Hartsville. The Hartsville Red Foxes bounced back from a loss to Myrtle Beach with a 21–17 victory at Spring Valley Friday, September 25. Hartsville improves to 5–1 while the Vikings drop to 2–3.

The Red Foxes started quick with a 71–yard drive on their opening possession to take a 7–0 lead. It looked like it might get worse for the Vikings when Austin Hill’s pass was deflected and inercepted by Jacob Cole, but the Spring Valley defense responded by holding Hartsville to a three–and–out. The Viking special teams then blocked the Hartsville punt to set up the Vikings at the Red Foxes’ 12–yard line. After an encroachment penalty on Hartsville moved Spring Valley five yards closer, Hill rolled to his right then threw back to the left corner of the end zone to Leroy Coad for the touchdown. The extra point tied the score at 7–7 with 3:03 remaining in the first quarter.

Spring Valley’s Markese Mason runs against Hartsville. It took all of 11 seconds for Hartsville to regain the lead. Dre Scott took a hand– off up the middle and raced 80 yards to give Hartsville the 14–7 lead.

The Vikings responded with a heavy dose of Markese Mason. The senior rushed six times for 56 yards including the final four yards to tie the score at 14–14 all with 21 seconds remaining in the first quarter.

The offenses cooled off in the second quarter. The Red Foxes punted twice, but did drive to the Spring Valley 25–yard line with 23 seconds remaining in the half only to turn it over.

After forcing a Hartsville punt to start the third quarter, the Vikings turned to Mason again. Coach Quay Farr called his number six straight times. Mason legs got Spring Valley from their own 45 as far as the Hartsville 18–yard line. A holding call dropped the Vikings back to the 35–yard line and a bad snap pushed the Vikings further back to their own 48–yard line. On third–and–33, Cole hauled in his second interceptionat the Hartsville 12–yard line. The Viking defense forced the Red Foxes into a third– and–12 at the Hartsville 26–yard line, but Scott struck again. He ran to the 40 yard line and appeared to be down, but spun out of the tackle and kept running to the end zone while the Vikings looked for a whistle. They never got one, and the Red Foxes took a 21–14 lead with 4:16 remaining in the third quarter.

Spring Valley’s Dexter Graham fights the block of a Hartsville defender. Mason tweaked his leg on the kick–off that followed leaving the Vikings without their most effective weapon of the game. Still, they were able to drive to midfield, but failed on a fourth–and–one run attempt.

The Viking defense repsonded by pushing back Hartsville a net yard and forcing a punt.The Viking offense then drove from its own 23–yard line to the Hartsville 15–yard line. Randall Lawyer had seven runs for 26 yards. The Vikings were forced into a field goal attempt from the 30–yard line in the midst of the drive. Kevin Knapp’s kick was long enough but sailed wide. However, Hartsville was flagged for roughing the kicker sustaining the drive. The Vikings stalled again, forcing Knapp to kick again. This time Knapp’s kick was good drawing Spring Valley closer at 21–17 with 5:49 remaining.

The Viking defense forced a three–and–out, but the Red Fox defense responded in kind.