Walton-Verona had two football goals: an undefeated home record and hosting a Class 2A first-round playoff game.
The Bearcats resoundingly accomplished both Friday against St. Henry. The 35-0 running clock win means Walton-Verona will stay home in two weeks for the first time since 2022.
Walton-Verona (7-2, 4-1 in Class 2A, Region 5) secured the 2-seed, and the Bearcats won all four home games – the first time that’s happened in coach Gary Pence’s nearly three seasons.
“So our guys are motivated,” Pence said. “I love the effort they came out with, and they executed the night perfectly.”
PHOTOS” Slideshow provided by Charles Bolton
The Bearcats overwhelmed the Crusaders in every way you wanted.
Start with the offense. The Bearcats amassed 429 total yards – which included 305 on the ground – and averaged 9.2 yards a play.
“We’re just not ready yet,” St. Henry coach Tim Odom said. “You know, we just don’t measure up physically and experience-wise. (Walton-Verona) just manhandled us; we didn’t have an answer.”
Continue with Andrew Lynn, Cooper Burch and AJ Yutze. Lynn caught an 8-yard Braxton Parr touchdown pass and ran for 119 yards, Yutze added 101 rushing yards, and Burch ran for 42 yards and caught a pass for another 12.
“They’re all three great young men, they’re leaders, captains,” Pence said. “They’ve been doing things the right way for a long time.”
You want stingy defense? Walton-Verona provided that, holding St. Henry (5-4, 3-2) to 150 total yards and just five rushing.
“I’m a defensive player who also plays offense,” Yutze said
Lynn also forced a fumble.
“I’m not trying to be cocky, but I feel like I’m pretty good on both sides of the ball,” Lynn said.
There were even a couple big plays. The Bearcats’ Dustin Hamilton returned a Cy Parento interception 99 yards for a touchdown, and Wesly Simpson finished the scoring with a 55-yard run.
“I am very disappointed it wasn’t 100,” Hamilton said of his pick-six. “I would’ve been the happiest man alive if I’d gotten a 100 pick-six for the first varsity touchdown.”
All night long, the Bearcats ran pretty much wherever they wanted.
Yutze started Walton-Verona’s opening drive with a 16-yard run around right end or the night, he averaged just over 10 yards a carry.
Two plays signified how Walton-Verona ran over, around and through St. Henry: Lynn’s touchdown pass from Parr in which he crushed a Crusader at the goal line, or Yutze’s stiff-arm on the way to a 34-yard run early in the third quarter.
“I’m all about being a power back and just making plays,” Lynn said.
Walton-Verona finishes the regular season next Friday at Grant County, and St. Henry heads to Ludlow on Thursday.
Pence received the requisite water cooler dousing after the game. He enjoyed it.
“That was one of the best cold showers I’ve ever had,” he said.
BEARCATS 35, CRUSADERS 0
ST. HENRY — 0-0-0-0 — 0
WALTON-VERONA — 7-7-14-7 — 35
First quarter
WV-Andrew Lynn 8 pass from Braxton Parr (Lucas Engel kick), 3:40
Second quarter
WV-Lynn 1 run (Engel kick), 3:58
Third quarter
WV-Cooper Burch 3 run (Engel kick), 8:33
WV-Dustin Hamilton 99 interception return (Engel kick), 2:36
Fourth quarter
WV-Wesly Simpson 55 run (Engel kick), 9:15
Game Stats
First downs: St Henry 5, Walton-Verona 16
Passing Yards: SH 145 (Parento 10-11-127-1 INT, Ivan Viveros 1-1-18), W-V (Parr 9-11-85-1 TD-1 INT)
Rushing Yards: SH 5 (L. Pate 9-13, Hughes 1-(minus-3), O. Pate 3-9, Ivan Viveros 2-4, Iain Viveros 1-(minus-2), Parento 4-(minus-16); W-V 324 (Lynn 11-119, Burch 8-42, A. Yutze 11-101, Parr 3-7, Simpson 1-55)
Receiving: SH 145 (Penick 2-32, Ivan Viveros 4-59, L. Pate 3-18, Thom 1-18), W-V 85 (Simpson 1-6, L. Engel 4-33, A. Jutze 1-8, Burch 1-12, Lynn 3-26)
Turnovers: SH 2, W-V 1
Penalties: SH 4-50, W-V 4-20
Records: St. Henry 5-4 (3-2 in Class 2A, Region 5, Walton-Verona 7-2 (4-1)
