POINT PLEASANT, W.Va. - And just like that, Spring Valley remembered how to play football.
The Timberwolves scored 44 consecutive points in the second half to turn a 27-14 halftime deficit into a 58-34 victory over Point Pleasant in high school football Friday at soggy Ohio Valley Bank Track and Field.
Quarterback Nate Ellis ran for 227 yards and four touchdowns and Owen Chafin rushed for 171 yards and one TD as Spring Valley (9-0) eventually lived up to its No. 1 rating in Class AAA against the talented and feisty Big Blacks (7-1) from Class AA.
The Timberwolves regained the lead 28-14 in the third quarter before Point Pleasant ever ran a play. Ellis used a 37-yard run to set up his 33-yard touchdown jaunt just four plays into the third period to pull Spring Valley within 27-21. After the Big Blacks fumbled away the ensuing kickoff, Chafin capped a six-play, 1-yard drive with an 11-yard touchdown run to give the Timberwolves a 28-27 lead they never relinquished.
After forcing a punt, Spring Valley scored again on its next possession, a 1-yard plunge by Cody Sharp to make it 34-27. After another Point Pleasant punt, Ellis scored from 47 yards on the first play to increase the lead to 42-27 with 11:41 left in the contest.
Spring Valley went up 50-27 just 32 seconds later when David Livingston returned an interception 60 yards for a touchdown and Chafin ran for a two-point conversion.
Ellis' last touchdown came on a 37-yard keeper with 8:43 left. Isaac Howard ran for the conversion for the last of 44 straight Timberwolves' points.
Christopher Holland scored on a 6-yard run up the middle for the Big Blacks to set the score.
The first half was quite different. Point Pleasant showed it was not intimidated by Spring Valley, driving 74 yards in nine plays, the final one a 20-yard touchdown pass from Cason Payne to Josh Wamsley, to take a 6-0 lead.
The Timberwolves appeared to break out of their early game funk as Graeson Malashevich capped a quick three-play 77-yard drive with a 17-yard TD run around left end, following a block by guard Luke Jarrell. Zane Porter's extra point gave Spring Valley a 7-6 lead.
The Big Blacks erased that deficit 14 seconds later as Wamsley returned the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown. Oliver Skeie's kick made it 13-7.
Back came Spring Valley. Ellis scored on an 8-yard keeper set up by runs of 20 and 30 yards by Chafin as the Timberwolves regained the lead 14-13 at 6:12 of the second quarter.
Wamsley, though, struck again, catching a 41-yard touchdown pass from Payne to make it 20-14 in favor of the Big Blacks with 3:13 left until halftime.
The Timberwolves fumbled on the first play of their next possession and Payne recovered at the Spring Valley 48. Nine plays later, Payne scored on a 1-yard sneak to make it 27-14 with 13 seconds left in the half.
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