The Hays High Indians played a rare game against Valley Center on Friday night. It was only the third game in the series history. Valley Center had won both of the prior games, a regular season game in 2016 and a playoff game in 1995 under coach Larry Mills.
Hays took the game’s opening possession down to the 20 yard line but lost the ball on downs. Valley Center was forced to punt but received the ball back after a fumble and scored three plays later to go up 7-0.

Valley Center scored on their next possession after an Indian punt to go up 14-0 early in the second quarter. The teams traded punts and turnovers for the remainder of the half. The Indian’s Keaton Markley intercepted a second pass of the first half and returned it to the Valley Center 30 yard line. Hays converted on a fourth and two to keep a drive alive that ended with a Hunter Brown to Hayden Brown five yard touchdown hook up. The touchdown with thirteen seconds left before half time put the score at 14-7 at the break.

Highlights

Hays never could gain traction in the second half filled with high tempers that included an ejection of a Valley Center player in the fourth quarter. The Hornets scored 10 points on a 27 yard field goal after the Indians threw an interception to go up 17-7. Then the Hornets hit their biggest play of the game on a 62 yard touchdown pass to win 24-7.
Hays falls to 2-3 and heads back onto the road next week to Dodge City to finish Western Athletic Conference play. Valley Center improves to 5-0 on the year.