By Pat Turner
Contributing Writer

Smithson Valley appears to be in winning form.

The Rangers recovered from their opening District 26-5A loss to Reagan with a 20-7 win over New Braunfels and followed with a 42-7 hammering of Johnson this past week.

The turnaround has placed Smithson Valley (4-1, 2-1) in a good position as far as the playoff race goes. As the league race heats up, the Rangers are looking for more encore performances.

The Rangers can help their cause a little more with a win over MacArthur Friday.

Smithson Valley head coach Larry Hill is feeling good about where his Rangers stand after the past two games. The offense and defense are making big plays, while the kicking game is providing its contributions.

“We’re taking care of the football and we’re creating turnovers,” Hill said. “We have had some explosive plays offensively. We’re not giving up the long play. We have had more impact kicking plays. We’re doing the things we have to do to win.

“We’re working out the rough spots. We certainly haven’t gotten it all done yet, but I think we’re getting it close.”

All phases came together against Johnson.

Offensively, the Rangers had several players contribute in the offensive output. It all started with Derek Moczygemba’s interception on the second play.

That led to Cody Matthews’ 8-yard touchdown run minutes later. Matthews also scored on a 17-yard run and grabbed a 23-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jacob Brown, who also scored on a 1-yard plunge. Trey Reinhart added touchdown runs of 4 and 5 yards as Smithson Valley strolled to a 35-7 halftime lead.

“We did it all on offense the other night,” Hill said. “We had explosive plays. We also sprayed the ball to a lot of receivers and had different backs carrying the ball. We had the big plays on defense. Derek Moczygemba’s interception really set the tone for us. It was a solid night.”

The Rangers’ defense set up another touchdown with a fumble recovery, while Moczygemba, Cory Bafidis, who also had an interception, Justin Beck, Luke Hyde, Drake Lawsage and Stephen Fox helped Smithson Valley hold Johnson to 157 yards offense.

Now, another test awaits.

MacArthur struggled though a 3-7 record a year ago, but despite losing to Madison (47-28) this past week, the Brahmas (3-1, 1-1) are proving to be a serious contender with a stout defense and a high-scoring offense.

MacArthur started league play with a 35-7 win over Johnson. During their non-district run, the Brahmas zipped past Taft (28-0) and Marshall (42-0).

Offensively, the Brahmas get their spark from sophomore quarterback Clint Killough who has passed for 584 yards and eight touchdowns, while the defense is led by defensive back Gabe Baker, cornerback Nick Burton and linebacker Elton Cochran.

Although MacArthur gave up 47 points against Madison, two of the touchdowns came on a fumble return and kick return.

“MacArthur has playmakers at every position,” Hill said. “The quarterback is mature beyond his years as a sophomore. He’s a playmaker whether throwing the ball or using his speed. He’s playing like he has done it all his life. They have a lot of receivers who can make the plays.

“The defense is really talented. MacArthur is just what I feared. I knew they would be back. They are going to be in the hunt at the end.”