McDonald smothers Valley Christian in electric opener

MINERAL RIDGE, Ohio (WKBN) – Proving that the program’s standard of excellence is built to last, McDonald flexed their muscles in a commanding season-opening 44-0 victory over Valley Christian.

For a program that rewrote the history books as a state semifinalist last season, Saturday’s showcase was a terrifying reminder to opponents of McDonald’s depth and explosive talent.

By routing the Eagles, the Blue Devils successfully extended their active regular season winning streak to 12 consecutive games, safely carrying the torch passed on by last year’s historic senior class.

McDonald moved the ball quickly on their opening possession. Preston VanMeter (9 yards) and Dom Sampson (11) started the drive with two big running plays to gain early yardage.

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The Blue Devils faced a brief setback when a 44-yard touchdown run by Josh Krumpak was nullified by a holding penalty. However, the offense recovered on the next sequence, as VanMeter broke loose for a 36-yard touchdown run to give the Blue Devils an early 7-0 lead.

Early disaster struck Valley Christian, on a high snap, the ball trickled back into the end zone. McDonald defender Sampson was there to tag down the Eagles’ quarterback Kymoni Moreland for a safety.

The defensive play pushed the Blue Devils’ early advantage to 9-0 with 8:16 still left in the opening frame.

McDonald refused to let Valley Christian catch their breath after the safety.

Quarterback Quinn Schmidt hooked up with Sampson for a massive first-down conversion to keep the chains moving. Sampson then turned into a battering ram, utilizing a physical, punishing running style to bulldoze his way down to the 5-yard line.

Schmidt took care of the rest on the very next play, calling his own number for a short touchdown plunge that extended the Blue Devils’ advantage to 16-0 midway through the first quarter.

After the successful extra point, lightning was spotted in the area causing a lengthy delay.

Not even the delay could freeze McDonald’s scorching momentum.

Valley Christian briefly threatened after a massive kickoff return pushed the ball inside the 20, but the Blue Devils’ defense dug in to force a turnover on downs.

Back on offense, VanMeter and Sampson ignited the drive with successive chunk plays on the ground. Then came the fireworks: Schmidt launched a deep spiral toward the end zone where two Valley Christian defenders catastrophically collided, allowing a wide-open Krumpak to smoothly haul in the pass and walk untouched into the end zone.

McDonald’s offense proved to be a mountain Valley Christian simply couldn’t climb.

After forcing another Eagles punt, the Blue Devils capitalized instantly on their next offensive snap. Sampson showcased his combination of power and speed, chewing up 49 yards to put McDonald on the doorstep of the end zone.

From there, Krumpak found the edge, exploiting a seam to the left side for a 6-yard touchdown romp that further widened the chasm.

Blink and you missed another McDonald score. Immediately after the kickoff, senior defender Caleb Gallner snapped up an interception inside the 40-yard line to put the Blue Devils right back in business.

Gifted with a short field, quarterback Schmidt methodically marched the offense to the doorstep before calling his own number, crashing over the goal line on a 3-yard push to extend the advantage to 37 points.

The Blue Devils continued to flex their muscles as the game entered its final phase.

Gallner locked down the secondary with yet another clutch interception, giving McDonald the ball back.

VanMeter wasted no time changing the field, slicing straight up the gut for an explosive 54-yard gain. Freshman Jeremiah Jackson then showcased the team’s bright future, carrying the ball on three consecutive plays and capping the drive with a 9-yard touchdown blast to start the fourth frame.

Valley Christian (0-1) will head to Campbell Memorial (0-1) next weekend while McDonald (1-0) will make the trek to Carroll County to face the Malvern Hornets (1-0).

SCORING CHART
McDonald, 44-0 (Final)
First Quarter
M – Preston VanMeter, 36-yard TD run (Nick Larson kick, 10:31)
M – Safety (8:16)
M – Quinn Schmidt, 5-yard TD run (Larson kick, 7:01)
M – Josh Krumpak, 37-yard TD catch from Schmidt (Larson kick, 1:57)
Second Quarter
M – Krumpak, 6-yard TD run (Larson kick, 8:46)
M – Schmidt, 3-yard TD run (Larson kick)
Fourth Quarter
M – Jeremiah Jackson, 9-yard TD run (Larson kick, 11:08)

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