WELLS — Tim Ross is listed, charitably, at 129 pounds on the Mountain Valley High School football roster. Or approximately the weight of teammate Ryan Laubauskas’ right leg. Ross’ throwback buzzcut, growing thicker in spots to the hint of a mohawk, is streamlined, too.

Not even ardent Falcons fans likely know Ross’ name, and friends might lose his 5-foot-8 frame in a crowd. But nobody has made a bigger play for Mountain Valley at the end of a regular-season game in years than Ross did Friday night.

The third-string safety’s interception of Paul McDonough in the zone denied Wells’ potential game-tying or winning touchdown with 14 seconds remaining, sealing Mountain Valley’s improbable, comeback 27-20 victory at Warrior Memorial Field.

Improbable, not merely because Mountain Valley (3-0) trails in a September game about twice every presidential election cycle. Unthinkable because the Falcons were without their entire starting secondary and three-quarters of their starting offensive backfield for much of the game.

Yet somehow second-half rushing touchdowns by brawny Brady Fergola and wounded Matt Duka and the late defensive stand were enough to extend the reigning Class B champions’ winning streak to 15 games.

“You can only squeeze so much out of the lemon. I don’t like trying to get something if I’m not sure there’s enough there,” said Mountain Valley coach Jim Aylward. “We were down to our third quarterback. We were down to defensive backs who don’t even play defensive back. We were playing kids at the end of the game who don’t normally play for us in varsity games, and that will only make us better in the long run.”

Ross’ role is customarily limited to special teams and sideline moral support. But with Cam Kaubris (rotator cuff), Chris Day (concussion) and Matt Duka (ankle) out, knocked out and in-and-out, respectively, Ross was part of a beleaguered Mountain Valley secondary asked to stop Wells’ final stand.

He had a hand in two prior tackles on a series that moved from the Wells’ 10 to the Mountain Valley 8 in the final 3:13. McDonough’s three strikes to Weston Gregg for gains of 46, 16 and 11 gave Wells first-and-goal.

Cole Clark batted down McDonough’s first pass. On second down, the sophomore signal-caller escaped a rush, rolled right, cut all the way back to the middle of the field and lofted the ball toward the goalposts. Ross read his eyes, cut off the intended receiver and wrapped his mitts around a leather souvenir he’ll someday show his grandkids.

“The quarterback was running around, so I followed him,” Ross said. “The next thing I know, the ball is in my hands and I’m down the ground. I just couldn’t believe it.”

McDonough (6-for-13, 141 yards, two TDs) and Gregg (155 all-purpose yards and both TD receptions) nearly powered Wells (2-1) to the weighty upset.

Wells overcame two lost fumbles in the second half and five Mountain Valley sacks in all.

“I don’t think that was anything Paulie did. The Mountain Valley kid just made a great play,” said Wells coach Tim Roche. “People don’t believe in us yet, but that’s OK. And I love Jim and have all the respect in the world for Mountain Valley, but our goal tonight was not just to keep it close.”

The Warriors far exceeded that expectation, anyhow. Wells recovered two muffed punts and took advantage of a personal foul penalty to score touchdowns on its first three extended possessions and build a 20-12 halftime lead.

McDonough found Gregg for carbon-copy TD tosses of 20 and 17 yards to the upper right corner of the end zone. McDonough also ran for a 10-yard score.

Fergola (14 carries, 86 yards) ran for a 4-yard TD and Tyler Mason (16 rushes, 139 yards) plunged in from a yard out for the Falcons’ first two scores.

But Day, starting in place of Kaubris at QB, had his bell rung defensively and played only one more series before giving way to sophomore Izaak Mills. Mason battled cramps throughout the second half. And Duka left the game after being nicked on an early special teams play, not returning in earnest until late in the third.

Clark, Laubauskas and Nick Taylor helped compensate up front, leading a Mountain Valley defensive revival that permitted only two Wells first downs after intermission until the final drive. 

“We were getting down on ourselves right from the start, and that’s not us,” said Laubauskas. “We turned it around and started believing in each other. We may only have 11 starters, but we believe everyone’s a starter and is ready to play when we need them.”

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