Round Valley grinds out 3A football win over Seton Catholic

Eagar Round Valley's best player is out for at least the first month of the season with an injury. Players were cramping up on the sideline in the third quarter.

But, in the end, quarterback Kage Finch proved to be too much for host Chandler Seton Catholic to stop in the Elks' season-opening 30-14 3A football win on Friday night, Aug. 21.

"We played them twice last year, and this is a much more tougher-minded football team," Round Valley coach Brad Baca said about Seton.

Round Valley had to get used to a game in which it was 106 degrees at kickoff. The Elks aren't used to that kind of heat. But they're used to playing at around 8,000 feet at home in the White Mountains. They got better as the game wore on.

Seton is in its first season under coach Matthew Hanshaw, who was the offensive coordinator at 6A Phoenix Pinnacle the last nine years.

As promised, Hanshaw emptied the playbook and let quarterback Brady Hayes air it out. He threw 33 passes, but he was swarmed much of the night with little room to scramble out of the pocket.

Round Valley could be without star running back/cornerback Brody Crick until midseason, as the Elks try to defend their 3A title. They also were without starting slot receiver/safety J.J. Logan, who is out for three weeks with an injury.

But, after struggling much of the first half, Finch got going late in the second quarter, finding Rhome Jeans for a 15-yard touchdown pass with 28 seconds left to give Round Valley a 9-6 lead.

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Kage Finch again, this time from 10 yards out. Round Valley pushes lead to 23-6 in 3rd quarter pic.twitter.com/WapY4wToaS