By Brian Dzenis

bdzenis@vindy.com

POLAND

Valley Christian’s homecoming queen accepted her crown in shoulder pads Saturday night.

Senior kicker Logan Schnabl didn’t have time for a gown in the pre-game ceremony, she had to get ready to face the team from Cochranton, Pa.

“It’s crazy. It’s just wild. I don’t how to explain it,” Schnabl said. It’s weird having to take off your crown and put on a football helmet, but it’s an awesome experience and I’m glad I got to experience it.”

The queen was 3-for-3 on extra points as the Eagles beat the Cardinals, 21-6. Two of her teammates were in her court. Quarterback Milan Square was the prince and wide receiver Jamnyk Jackson was the homecoming king.

Schabl will get her kicks in college on the soccer field. She’s looking at going to the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. She has been kicking for the Eagles since her sophomore season and being on the field goes mostly unnoticed by opponents now that she’s a regular presence.

“Unless they see the ponytail or the pink cleats, they don’t really say anything,” Schnabl said.

The win takes the Eagles to 2-3 at the season’s halfway point and Saturday’s game was as inconsistent as the record. Valley Christian lost four fumbles and Square tossed two picks.

Running back Altwjuan Beck-Lindsey could be looked at as a microcosm for the game. There’s his 122 rushing yards and two touchdowns, but he lost the ball three times.

“Those three fumbles... I guess I just let the score get to me and I started being lackadaisical,” Beck-Lindsey said. “My coaches are going to make me pay for it on Monday. I’m going to have to hold the ball in school all day.”

Cochranton (1-4) was just as up to the task in turning over the ball as Valley Christian, losing three of five fumbles and tossing two interceptions.

“We keep telling them we have to stop that. That’s not what we strive here to do,” Eagles co-head coach Jeff Hether said of the miscues. “Fortunately, we have a defense that I think is one of the best in the area. It was good that we could make a stop and get the ball back.”

The defense, which falls in the purview of co-head coach Jamont Ware, limited the Cardinals offense to basicially their quarterback, Curtis Freyermouth, plodding forward. In 32 carries, he rushed for a game-high 153 yards. He broke the shutout with a 3-yard touchdown run with six minutes left in the fourth quarter. Valley Christian’s Marcus Roman and Jordan McKinney each had one interception.

Ware said the co-head coaching arrangement is working out well.

“Jeff and I feed off each other. The kids love both of us and I don’t think there’s any difference [from a one-coach system], we both love the kids and we all want to teach the kids not just to be football players, but what they want to do in life,” Ware said. “We’re trying to teach them how to be grown men when the leave here and to take care of their responsibilities.”

Valley Christian ended its non-conference slate on Saturday and will begin play in the Portage Trail Conference this week.

Beck-Lindsey scored both of his TDs in the first half and Tre’Von Clay had a rushing score in the second quarter.

“Where would I grade us? [Saturday] was not even close to what we can do,” Beck-Lindsey said. “It’s not even close to the potential that we have.

“It doesn’t even scratch the surface.”