Turner’s big night gives Arbor View homecoming win over Spring Valley

The last time Arbor View senior Devon Turner played on his home field, he walked off dejected after the Aggies lost their annual rivalry game to Legacy two weeks ago.

Last night, he personally made sure the homecoming crowd watched an Aggies win, rushing for 101 yards and three touchdowns to lead Arbor View to a 44-0 win over Spring Valley.

“That’s exactly how I felt. I didn’t want to lose my homecoming,” Turner said. “I felt we could have gone undefeated this year and the fact we didn’t really upset me, so I was determined to make sure we won this game.”

It seemed to be the motivation for the entire team, as Arbor View (4-1, 1-0 Northwest Division) outgained the Grizzlies (1-4, 0-1) on offense by 307 yards.

“Devon had a great night, the defense played great, the kids (were) flying around the ball,” Arbor View coach Dan Barnson said. “That’s what we talked to ‘em about before the game: play fast, play physical.”

“We had a pretty good week of practice … they made me nervous cause we were hitting each other very hard at practice. I told the kids that’s the way we had to come out and play and we did,” he said.

It didn’t take long for the Aggies to establish their ground game. After the teams traded possessions to start the game, Barnson called for a heavy dose of Anthony Smith, who ran five times on the Aggies’ second possession. He culminated the six-play, 70-yard drive with a 3-yard plunge to give Arbor View the early lead with 5:35 left in the first quarter. And then, Turner took over.

The Aggies’ defense stifled the Grizzlies on three straight plays on their next possession. Arbor’s Lonnie Sharpe blocked Paolo Ferrer’s punt and recovered the ball to set the Aggies up at Spring Valley’s 7-yard line. On the next play, Turner took the handoff over the left side and slithered into the end zone to extend the Aggies’ lead.

Spring Valley’s first play of the second quarter resulted in a safety, giving the Aggies a 16-0 lead and the ball back. After Maurice Harvey returned the ensuing kickoff 35 yards to the Grizzly 46-yard line, Turner took the first play from scrimmage to the house, scrambling down the right side to give the Aggies an even bigger lead.

Once again the Aggies’ hard-hitting defense, which held Spring Valley to 36 first-half yards, forced the Grizzlies to punt. On the ensuing Arbor View possession, Turner emerged from a congested pack of linemen, to bust out a 32-yard touchdown run and complete his hat trick.

“All it was, was to find my best friends which are all my linemen, cause without them I can’t do nothing,” Tuner said.

Smith finished with 79 yards on the ground and a pair of touchdowns, while Jacob Speaks rumbled for 71 yards. Herman Gray scored the team’s fifth touchdown late in the game.

Spring Valley was led by quarterback Christian Tasi, who completed three passes for 19 yards and rushed for 14.