Warrior and Valor Football Meet for First Time; Ends in Valor Victory

Nixa, Mo.-After a tight battle in the first half of Saturday's game against the Evangel University Valor, the Warriors took a 55-0 loss. This was the first matchup between these two teams on the football field in the long history of both of these teams. Sterling knew it was going to be another test as the Valor were just outside the Top 25 looking in, receiving votes in the most recent NAIA football polls. For Head Coach Darren Jackson, it was a bit of a homecoming as part of his coaching history found him on the Valor sidelines in Nixa, Mo.

Both teams had a slow start. Neither team was able to score in the first quarter. The two teams traded interceptions in the quarter. The Valor found a bit of an edge in the second quarter and were able to win the field position battle enough to put up two scores in the frame. Sterling trailed 13-0 at the break.

The second half was all Evangel as they scored three times early in the third quarter and, no matter how hard they tried, Sterling struggled to find an answer to the Valor offense. One of the top receivers in the nation was on the Valor sideline and he showed his versatility on offense and special teams. When the clock struck 0:00 in the final frame, Evangel had built a 55 point lead.

Sterling came into the game without their number 1 quarterback and injuries throughout the game caused the Warriors to test their depth chart. With a number of different players running the offense, it was tough for Sterling to get anything going on offense. As the night wore on, Sterling's defense began to tire as well.

The warrior defense was led by Cameron Reed with 10 tackles, which included 9 solo tackles. Flin Cameron added another sack to his stats for this year, making it 3 sacks in 3 games. Cameron is the current record holder at Sterling for sacks in a season with 8 total last season. Amar Smith caught his first interception and the first by the Valor this year.

Special teams were led by Mason Cobb who punted 10 times for over 400 total yards in the game, each averaging around 40.4 yards. Cobb worked hard at winning the field position battle while he was on the field.

The Warriors return to Smisor Stadium Saturday, September 16, at 6 pm for WarriorFest. The Warriors will take on the Bethany Swedes which is a much improved team from their recent year's struggles.

Be sure to check for news and updates on Sterling Warrior Athletics on Facebook (/SCWarriors), Twitter (@SterlingCSports), and Instagram (sterlingcsports), as well as the hashtag #SwordsUp. Watch the Warriors' live home events on the Sterling College Sports Network.