Undefeated Hood River Valley rolls in homecoming game vs. La Salle

The Eagles, led by head Coach Caleb Sperry, got things going early and often in a game that Hood River Valley dominated in all three phases.

“Our guys are playing at a high level right now,” said Sperry after the win. “They’ve been very coachable, and they’re practicing hard and just doing a great job putting themselves in positions to make plays and being opportunistic. It’s really a tribute to them and the work they’re putting in and what kind of dudes they are.”

Hood River Valley rolled to a 20-0 first-quarter lead before its offense stepped on the field with 1:50 left in the opening period. The Eagles’ first three scores came from the defense. Jose Betancourt-Valle picked off a ball for a 57-yard pick six; Jack Miller recovered a Falcon fumble for an 18-yard scoop and score; and Davin Snyder picked off an overthrown pass from La Salee for a  50-yard interception return — the second of the quarter for the Eagles.

On the first offensive play for the Eagles, Coach Sperry called a direct snap to senior running back Bam Layna. The HRV offensive line opened a massive hole, and receiver Talon Quinn-Britt made a block near the sideline, allowing Layna to breeze past the Falcon defense for a 79-yard touchdown.

The scoring continued, as quarterback Bodie Stuben found Davin Snyder for a 54-yard touchdown with nine minutes to play in the second period, pushing the Eagle advantage to 33-0. On Hood River’s next drive, arguably its best one, the Eagles moved 74 yards in nine plays, finished off by an 18-yard touchdown pass from Stuben to Quinn-Britt on a fade down the left sideline, which pushed the lead to 40-0.

La Salle finally made some progress as Coach Dustin Janz’s young team reeled off a 12-play, 75-yard TD drive to break the shutout and make it 40-7 at halftime.

Quinn-Britt opened the second half with a 69-yard kickoff return that set up HRV deep in Falcon territory. Snyder caught a 16-yard scoring strike from Stuben, and a running clock ensued — a little more than two minutes into the second half.

La Salle cut into the deficit when Sterling Dressel found Jora Atwal for a passing touchdown. HRV’s Davin Snyder added another kickoff return touchdown, finishing with four touchdowns on the night.

Sperry said: “We have a lot of great athletes on this team, and [Snyder’s] one of them. He just had an opportunity to get the ball in his hands and make some great plays. He’s capable of that every time, and tonight he just made some unbelievable plays.”