ALMEDIA–The Cowanesque Valley sideline was a lonely place Saturday afternoon. A small school which often has numbers disadvantages, CV only dressed 16 players, meaning all but five were on the field.

From a small roster came a big-time performance.

All 16 players contributed, and CV delivered its most dominant performance of the 2000s. Kegan Lane ran for 128 yards and scored four touchdowns, Dave Hess accounted for four touchdowns three ways, Levi Stahli threw for three scores and the defense dominated as CV hammered CMVT, 63-0 at Wen Cerra Memorial Field.

“We traditionally struggle with numbers, but those 16 players are dogs,” Lane said after generating his third straight 100-yard game. “We come out every day at practice and push ourselves. It shows us when we put our minds to it what we can really do.”

Turns out, the Indians (3-4) can do quite a lot no matter how many players they have.

CV owned the line of scrimmage and outgained CMVT, 465-91. The Indians produced their third shutout, forced six turnovers and built a 44-0 halftime lead, scoring 21 first quarter points and 23 more in the second.

In addition to piling up 298 first-half yards, CV scored touchdowns on six straight possessions after defensive end Stevie Olson (2 sacks) produced the game’s first points when he sacked Myles Koser in the end zone for a safety.

“It’s everyone giving effort,” Hess said after totaling 193 yards and four scores. “It shows right there.”

“It says a lot about them. This is the tightest team I’ve ever been a part of,” CV coach Jacob Lane said. “They’re not afraid to work together and hold each other accountable. Today was a good game for them to put some things together that we’ve been working on. We have a lot of freshmen subbing in and out and, overall, the boys did a good job coming out, working together and playing well.”

Injuries have forced CV to shuffle the lineups, especially up front. No one could tell, however, because Olson, Luke Sottolano, Ben Freeman, Justin Schaar and Xander Wyble overwhelmed CMVT’s defensive front. They frequently blew defenders off the ball, opening big holes and/or allowing runners like Lane and Hess to get a few yards downfield before absorbing any contact.

The line blew open holes, Lane, Hess, Stahli and Max Millard frequently carried defenders for extra yards and all the pieces fell into place as CV both moved the ball and scored at will. Take away an errant snap which led to a 24-yard loss and CV averaged a staggering 12.4 yards per rush, as well as 12.9 yards per play.

“Our line definitely stepped up,” Kegan Lane said. “Give a lot of credit to them. They worked their butts off today.”

“They were great. When they take over, it’s lights out,” Hess said. “The holes were opening up, and everything starts there with the line.”

Hess, a junior, has been a Swiss Army Knife the past three seasons, and opened the game at quarterback in a new look. He ripped off a 25-yard touchdown run for CV’s first offensive points before rolling right, improvising, waving Cam Stahli toward the back of the end zone and then connecting with him on a 16-yard score.

Moving to receiver, Hess closed the quarter with a highlight-reel 69-yard touchdown catch after Lane scooped up a fumble and pitched it toward Levi Stahli who unleashed a deep ball. Three touchdowns, three different ways and Hess did it all 5 minutes, 5 seconds, helping CV open a 21-0 lead.

“I’m just trying to help the team anyway I can,” Hess said. “Any way I can do it, that’s what I’ll do.”

That wild sequence on the long touchdown in the first quarter’s final minute highlighted how even when things went wrong Saturday, CV still made sure they turned out right.

The ball was kicked around a few times on the ground before Lane corralled it and spotted Levi Stahli on his left. After he took the pitch, Stahli kept his eyes downfield and gave Hess a shot at making the play. That Hess did, leaping high, hauling the ball in and spinning away, going the final 30 yards untouched.

“I was laughing because we play a game called fleetball where you keep the ball moving. That’s what that was like,” Jacob Lane said. “As coaches, we’re like, ‘There’s that fleetball,’ where they kept the ball moving and making something good happen.”

CV never really stopped moving the ball. Lane scored on consecutive possessions to start the second quarter, first from seven yards out before making a series of impressive cuts and going 35 yards for the next. Levi Stahli then capped the first half eruption with a 1-yard sidearm touchdown pass to Hess as CV led 44-0 while outgaining CMVT, 298-21 at halftime.

Lane and Hess each have produced multiple 100-yard rushing games this season. The line blasting open space was like pouring gasoline on the fire and Lane reeled in a 21-yard Levi Stahli touchdown pass before making a series of tacklers miss and running over a few others on a 38-yard run in the third quarter.

“Those two (Hess and Lane) have been playing football together since they’ve been in first grade. It’s great to have that dynamic,” Jacob Lane said. “They’re comfortable with each other and it’s a good competitiveness between them. They’re great friends and teammates and they try and make each other better as they go.”

Maybe fittingly, it was a lineman who capped the scoring. After clearing the way all afternoon, Olson switched roles and took his second carry this season a memorable one, racing 20 yards for a fourth quarter touchdown.

Olson also was part of a stifling defense which held CMVT to 64 yards until the game’s final minute. He had two sacks, while Sottolano and Lane added others. The Rams entered the game averaging more than 30 points per game but ran just one play in CV territory after opening the game with excellent field position following a failed CV onside kick.

Sottolano’s sack helped stifle that drive and Cam Stahli’s leaping interception following an errant pass two plays later due to pressure offered a preview of how this game would play out. Lane dropped the hammer, ensuring CV’s third shutout when he raced in from the right side on the game’s final play, dropping the quarterback for a five-yard loss.

First play, last play … whatever. No matter how many players CV has for a given game, they will be going all out.

“We strive for perfection. That’s what coach teaches us,” Kegan Lane said. “He says the best thing you can do to a team, whether you’re winning or losing, is give them your best effort.”

Cowanesque Valley 63, CMVT 0

CV 21 23 12 7―63

CMVT 0 0 0 0―0

First Quarter

CV–Stevie Olson sacks Myles Koser in end zone for safety, 6:12

CV–Dave Hess 25 run (Gavin Churchill kick), 5:40

CV–Cam Stahli 22 pass from Hess (run failed), 5:15

CV–Hess 69 pass from Levi Stahli (run failed), :35

Second Quarter

CV–Kegan Lane 7 run (Lane run), 8:09

CV–Lane 35 run (Hess pass to Churchill), 6:42

CV–Hess 1 pass from Levi Stahli (Churchill kick), 1:49

Third Quarter

CV–Lane 21 pass from Levi Stahli (run failed), 8:04

CV–Lane 38 run (kick blocked), 1:01

Fourth Quarter

CV–Olson 20 run (Churchill kick), 2:36

TEAM STATISTICS CV CMVT

First Downs 14 5

Rushes-yards 25-273 24-24

Passing yards 192 67

Total yards 465 91

Comp-Att-Int 8-14-0 6-15-1

Fumbles-lost 3-0 7-5

Penalties-yards 18-135 1-5

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: CV, Kegan Lane 8-128, 3 TD; Max Millard 5-69; Dave Hess 4-58, TD; Levi Stahli 5-22; Stevie Olson 1-20, TD; Brody Bruce 1-0; Team 1-(-24). CMVT, Matthew Allen 7-15; Charlie Sego 6-14; Zane Labate 4-7; Keegan Moyer 2-3; Liam Patraw 1-0; Team 1-(-4); Myles Koser 3-(-11).

PASSING: CV, L Stahli 6-9-0, 132 yards, 3 TD; Hess 2-5-0, 60 yards, TD. CMVT, Sego 3-7-0, 44 yards; M Koser 3-8-1, 24 yards.

RECEIVING: CV, Hess 3-75, 2 TD; Gavin Churchill 2-65; Cam Stahli 2-31, TD; Lane 1-21, TD. CMVT, Blake Sponenberg 2-52; Axton Koser 2-14; Sego 1-1; Allen 1-1.

INTERCEPTIONS: CV, Cam Stahli

SACKS: CV, Olson 2, Lane, Luke Sottolano. CMVT, Sponenberg.

Records: Cowanesque Valley 3-4. CMVT 3-4.