How West Des Moines Valley football's defensive clinic against Waukee Northwest led to a Week One win

Waukee Northwest kicked off its second season as program against West Des Moines Valley on Friday, but it was the visiting team that came out victorious.

The Tigers came back in the second half to beat the Wolves, 17-7.

Northwest and Valley exchanged possessions for the first half, but it was the Wolves who capitalized first on their home turf.

Building off the momentum from a Valley fumble, Northwest quarterback Sam Johnson handed the ball to running back Brady Grisham, who ran the remainder of the field for the first score of the game. With a good extra kick, the home team took an early 7-0 lead.

The Wolves continued to hold off Valley until the end of the second quarter. The Tigers took the ball into the red zone with close to a minute left in the opening half, and quarterback Michael Provenza sent a pass to the corner of the end zone.

It bounced off the hands of tight end Bryce Anderson, but Ayden Price was there to catch it, keeping his feet in bounds for the tying touchdown heading into halftime.

"Don't give up on the play, even when you see the ball is going to your teammate," Price said afterward. "Just stay focused until that whistle blows at the end of every play, and it paid off because I was in the right spot at the right time to make that play."

The action remained just as slow in the second half. Valley added another touchdown in the third quarter, but the end zones remained empty through the end of the game.

"(Waukee Northwest) is a cross-town rival, so it make this just that much better," Price said. "To go down in the first (quarter) and just keep fighting all the way through all four quarters. No one stopped believing, no one stopped fighting."

Defense stands strong Valley

There was very little to love about the Tigers’ play early on, with mistakes on both sides of the ball that kept Valley scoreless until the final minute of the first half.

But three players did stand out for Valley: defensive lineman Cireel Fountain, linebacker Trystin Irvin and safety Chase Hutchinson.

Fountain was a steady presence on the line for Valley. He was always seemingly where he needed to be, and that was directly in the running back’s path or in the quarterback’s line of vision. His presence off the line often created game changing moments for Valley’s defense, including the first fumble recovery of the game for the Tigers.

Irvin was another player that was all over the field, and he had his share of disruptive moments.

But the key player on Valley’s defense was Hutchinson, who was as impactful on offense. Late in the third quarter, with Valley hanging onto a one-touchdown lead, the Tigers fumbled on the punt and handed the football back to Northwest.

On the very next play, Hutchinson sacked the Wolves’ quarterback for a loss of six. He followed that with another hit on Northwest’s Johnson, which caused a fumble recovered by Valley.

The Tigers defense is something Valley head coach Gary Swenson might need to rely on.

"Defense kept us in it until we were able to get some stuff going," Swenson said postgame. "I thought they were really solid (Friday), and we had hoped that would be the case. We're going to have to hang our hat on them for a while until we get things together offensively."

Quarterback vs. quarterback: Who comes out on top?

It was Valley senior Michael Provenza versus Northwest junior Sam Johnson.

Despite being a senior, Provenza had little starting experience on varsity, and it showed in the season opener. Valley’s starting quarterback dealt with some first week jitters.

Northwest’s Johnson wasn’t perfect either, but he had more success in the run game, creating plays on the ground when there weren't option in the air. If the pass game was more effective — Johnston was 4-of-15 against Valley — this game might have ended differently for Waukee Northwest.

Both teams will need to see improvement at that position in the weeks ahead.

Cael Winter returns to the field for senior season

Last football season was bittersweet for the Wolves. Toward the end of October 2021, offensive lineman Cael Winter was hospitalized with blood clots in his lungs and pneumonia. He did not return for the remainder of the high school football season.

But Friday, he made his return, leading Waukee Northwest’s team onto the field and serving as a team captain. It was a full circle moment for the senior football player and wrestler.

There were plenty of impact players for Northwest, especially against a ranked Valley team. But Winter’s contribution on the offensive line can’t be ignore. His presence allowed Johnson to make some big plays — both in the air and on the run.

Valley 17, Waukee Northwest 7

Valley: 0  7  7  3 -- 17

Waukee Northwest: 0  7  0  0 -- 7

Top performers

Rushing: Valley: Darius Mason 24-96-0; Northwest: Brady Grisham 18-77-1

Passing: Valley: Michael Provenza 11-95-1; Northwest: Sam Johnson 4-17-1

Receiving: Valley: Ayden Price 5-43-1; Northwest: Cooper Chiafos 1-13-0

Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at ahertel@dmreg.com or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa high school football: West Des Moines Valley stifles Waukee Northwest