Northwood Holds Off Fountain Valley for a Narrow 21-14 Victory (2024)

Irvine – Irvine High Stadium

The Fountain Valley Barons fell short against the Northwood Timberwolves, losing 21-14 in a tightly contested matchup Friday night. Northwood scored first with Joseph Harper running it in for six. The Timberwolves maintained a 7-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

As the second quarter kicked off, Harper found Cole Hidalgo in the end zone, extending their lead to 14-0. Fountain Valley quarterback Lucas Alexander quickly responded with a touchdown pass to receiver Luke Taylor, narrowing the gap to 14-7. However, Harper found the end zone again with another touchdown throw, pushing Northwood’s lead to 21-7.

Fountain Valley’s defense stepped up when Hayden Cutler recovered a fumble, giving the Barons a chance to mount a comeback. The third quarter saw no scoring, but Fountain Valley rallied in the fourth. Alexander connected with Nathan Lares for a touchdown, bringing the score to 21-14.

Despite a strong effort from Alexander, who threw for 146 yards and two touchdowns, the Barons struggled to establish a run game, managing just below 65 yards on the ground. Sam Garza led Fountain Valley’s rushing attack with 38 yards on five carries, while Taylor made a significant impact in the air with eight receptions for 133 yards and a touchdown.

Ultimately, Fountain Valley couldn’t complete the comeback, leaving them with a tough loss as they look to regroup for their next matchup.