ELDRED –– For the second weekend in a row, the Tri-Valley Bears have dethroned an undefeated team. After a gritty 8-6 victory over Pawling on the road last weekend, the Bears made their way to the home of the Yellowjackets for a division matchup.

For the first time this season, Eldred got to play on their home turf, showing off their newly-renovated athletic fields. The spark was nearly enough to lead the injury-plagued Eldred unit to victory, but Tri-Valley’s tough defense and timely offense brought home a Bears’ win.

The undefeated Eldred squad and the one-loss Tri-Valley team showed off their defensive prowess early, going through an entirely scoreless first half as the two vied for field position.

After an interception by Eldred stopped a potential scoring drive for Tri-Valley, the Bears’ defense locked down and forced a turnover on downs at the Eldred 13 yard line.

A few plays later, quarterback Josh Fanslau punched in a rushing touchdown and a two-point conversion to make it 8-0 with 7:55 to play in the first half.

Just under two minutes later, a long catch-and-run touchdown from Koen McGill to Trai Kaufmann evened the score at eight apiece.

The Bears made it all the way down to the Eldred 5-yard line but were unable to punch in a score before the break.

Eldred returned the second half kickoff to their own 43, but a quick three-and-out led to an Eldred punt. It was blocked by the Bears’ special teams unit, and Tri-Valley began their next drive at the Eldred 40. It didn’t take long for the Bears to pick up where they left off, marching down the field before Zach Whipple punched in the second Bears’ touchdown.

Fanslau followed up with another successful 2-point to make it 16-8.

Eldred’s offense made their way deep into Tri-Valley territory throughout the second half, but were unable to break through. Yellowjacket drives included a turnover on downs at the TV 22, and another at the TV 7-yard line, forcing the Bears to start a drive under the shadow of the goal posts.

Both defenses continued to battle, with Eldred’s next drive starting at the TV 33 after forcing a punt. However, a forced fumble by the Bears gave them the ball right back with under eight minutes to play.

Tri-Valley began eating the clock, methodically working their way down into Eldred territory before running out the clock in the Eldred red zone.

When asked about the Bears’ defense, Head Coach Kevin Crudele said, “We started playing downhill. The team has played together and we’ve done a good job of bending instead of breaking.”

He added, “The guys have really been putting the time in and becoming a team. The atmosphere tonight was great, playing under the lights on a Friday night is always special.”

Eldred Head Coach Sean McAveney was proud of his squad despite the loss. He said, “We struggled a bit with our offensive personnel and we’re dealing with some injuries. Tri-Valley’s defense was really good, and we’re looking forward to seeing them again.”

When asked about the new facilities and getting to play at home this season Coach McAveney said, “We weren’t sure if it would be done in time, but they worked overtime and did a wonderful job putting it together.