Metea Valley rolls to first victory

There was little doubt surrounding Metea Valley's first varsity victory.

Junior tailback Tre'Sean Mackey rushed for 95 yards and 3 touchdowns as the Mustangs rolled host East Aurora 39-6 Friday night in Upstate Eight Conference Valley Division action. After two close games to start the season, Metea Valley finally notched its first - and most important - victory in its short history.

"It feels pretty good," Metea Valley coach Ted Monken said. "We knew it was going to come sooner or later. It's important for the kids to get this win."

"We knew this was a big game," Mackey said. "We had to step up and that's what we did. It feels good to win, and I'm glad I could help my team win."

The Mustangs (1-2, 1-0) wasted little time as Mackey scored on his first two touches of the game. Mackey started with a 12-yard run and followed with a 16-yard dash that gave the Mustangs a 6-0 advantage. He added his second touchdown of the game on the next drive, this time a 3-yard scoot that put Metea up 13-0. The Mustangs recorded their third touchdown thanks to an 18-yard hookup between junior quarterback Jarrett House and junior receiver Zach Wood. Mackey attributed much of the offense's success to the strong showing from the line.

"We have a lot of good linemen," Mackey said. "They play hard, and we don't have a lot of subs. They give their all every time we're on the field."

But it wasn't only the offense scoring points. Junior linebacker Donovan Rowsey scooped up a fumble and returned it 33 yards for a Mustangs touchdown while sophomore defensive back Alex Hagemaster picked off 2 passes in the waning minutes of the second quarter. The defense stifled the Tomcats attack, holding them to only 78 total yards in the first half. Metea enjoyed a 26-0 lead heading into halftime.

"The defense was great today," Monken said.

Mackey added his final touchdown of the game with a 33-yard dash to give Metea Valley a 33-0 advantage. Alex Soto finished the scoring in the fourth quarter with a 3-yard touchdown run.

The Mustangs lost their shutout bid in the final minutes of the fourth quarter when junior running back Charles Pool scampered 65 yards for the only Tomcats (0-3, 0-1) touchdown. Regardless of the late score, Monken said the victory would be a momentum boost.

"It builds the confidence and keeps them believing in what we preach day in and out. We feel good about where our program is going," he said.