11/19/1992, Thursday
Gainesville Daily Register Sports Editor, Mike Pender

                On down to Class A, where the Valley View Eagles are coming off an impressive 52-16 win over a decent Mildred club last week in Irving.

                I got the opportunity to talk to coach Mark Davidson this week and he said Friday’s matchup with Gunter will be a showdown, to say the least.

                I know a high school football changes during the course of the season, but I remember seeing Gunter and Muenster scrimmage about 12 weeks ago.

                The Tigers had their way with the Hornets, as they seem to have had throughout the season.

                After a bye in week No. 1 of the playoffs, Gunter sits with an unblemished 10-0 record.  The Tigers also play in a pretty decent District 19-A with Celeste, Maud, Blue Ridge and Prosper.

                And guess what?  Gunter wasn’t picked to finish any higher than sixth in that district.  That tells  you something.

                It has Davidson a little bit worried as he prepares his troops for the showdown.

                “There’s a lot of unanswered questions,” Davidson said.  “They can run and throw.  They’re very balanced.”

                Davidson said the key to the game will lie on his team’s ability to control the line of scrimmage.  He said his offensive and defensive front has played extremely well of late and hopes it continues through the rest of the Eagles games.

                Harris doesn’t think this one is going to be as close as I do as Valley View comes in as a 9-point [under, NLN] dog.  Maybe we can get the Eagles fired up a little bit … GUNTER 16, VALLEY VIEW 12.

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11/22/1992, Sunday

Valley View scratches Tigers, 35-20

Staff report

                Sherman – Valley View running back Tommy Elvington ran rampant through Gunter’s defense for 218 yards and three touchdowns as the Eagles soared by the previously undefeated Tigers Friday night at Sherman’s Bearcat Stadium by a 35-20 margin.

`               With the victory Valley View, who moves its overall record to 9-2-1, will next face Overton (10-1).  The Eagles will travel to Crandall Friday night at 8 p.m. for the semifinal round of the Class A playoffs to take on the Mustangs, who advanced with a win over Chester.

                Gunter, representing District 19-A, ends the season with a 10-1 record after a bye last week in the first round of the schoolboy playoffs.

                The Eagles opened up playoff competition last week with a 52-16 win over Mildred.

                Elvington wasn’t the only Valley View player to have an exceptional game.  Quarterback Jeremy Tipps also found open spots in the Gunter defense as he racked up 169 yards on the ground. 

                The Eagles rolled up 459 yards on 71 carries for 21 first downs, while the Tigers were held to 101 yards rushing and 146 in the air.

                Valley View running back Michael White also got into the act as he scored twice on dives of 1 and 2 yards.

                The game started as it was billed as each team was able to put points on the board.

                Gunter started the game with a 23-yard touchdown strike from quarterback Rodney Pecina to receiver Cody Bounds.  After Chris Palostra added the PAT, the Tigers had taken an early 7-0 lead.

                But Valley View would bounce back before the end of the first quarter when Elvington found paydirt from 5-yards out for his first touchdown of the night.  Lance Morris then booted the exra point to knot the score at 7-7.

                In the second quarter the Tigers took the lead again when Joe Westman crossed the goal line from 4-yards out.  After Palostra booted the extra point, Gunter led 14-7.

                Valley View came back before the half to tie the game again when Elvington crossed on a 2-yard dive.  Morris kick was true, sending the teams into the locker room with a draw.

                But in the second half it was all Eagles as Elvington gave Valley View its first lead of the game with a 1-yard plunge, then White followed that with a 1-yard dive of his own to run the score to 28-14.

                In the fourth quarter Valley View would add another score when White broke free for a 2-yarder.  Morris kicked his fifth PAT of the game to secure the win for the Eagles.

                Gunter added a mercy score late in the game when Pecina hit Bounds for a 14-yard touchdown, but the damage had already been done.