HIGH SCHOOL JOURNALISM: Wildcats scored big win last Friday

Editor's note: Here is your chance to tell your story about your team, your school or your favorite player. If you'd like to join The Gazette's growing list of high school contributors, contact J.R. Ogden at jr.ogden@thegazette.com

By Diane Temple, Maquoketa Valley newspaper adviserDELHI - This was a  game that kept Maquoketa Valley football  fans on the edge of their seat. But when the final buzzer sounded, the fans were standing and cheering about the 19-17 win over a formidable Clayton Ridge team.The first part of the game was Eagle driven. In the second quarter, Clayton Ridge scored on an 88-yard interception return and made good on the PAT. Maquoketa Valley answered with Ryan Parmely's 9-yard rushing touchdown, ending the half at 7-6 in favor of Clayton Ridge/The Eagles must have been aware of the threat Parmely posed, containing him in the first half better than the other teams have this season.“Clayton Ridge is a good physical football team and put a lot of pressure on us in the first half," Wildcats Coach Wes Wilson said. "We made some adjustments in the second half and our offensive line really played well.”The MV offense came alive in the second half. Clayton Ridge scored first in the third quarter on a 39-yard field goal, but MV quickly answered with 17-yard rushing touchdown by Parmely. Rob Bockenstedt kicked the PAT. Early in the fourth quarter, Parmely found his way into the end zone again on a 6-yard run.Tension rose mid-fourth quarter when Clayton Ridge rushed for a touchdown and made the PAT. The Cats held the lead, but soon Clayton Ridge was within field goal range. With 23 seconds left, the Eagles missed a 37-yard field goal, giving Maquoketa Valley the win.“Every win is a big win in this district,” Wilson said. “There are a lot of good teams in our district and we have to be ready to play every night.”MV gained  291 yards to Clayton Ridge's 285. Despite the similarity in yardage, Clayton Ridge held the ball for 43:07 compared to MV's 28:52.MV relied on its rushing game again with Parmely traveling 171 yards and quarterback Ben Dzaboff adding 76 .Defensively, Zach Salow was credited with an interception and Parmely had a fumble recovery. Tanner Hargrafen led in tackles with 11, Parmely added 10 and Steve Huber 8.Bockenstedt averaged 37.5 yards on his two kicks while Parmely averaged 23 yards on his two punts.The 'Cats travel to Jesup his Friday.