CALEDONIA — The scoreboard was popping like an old-fashioned pinball machine until River Valley's defense forced Ontario to Tilt in the second half.

In another Vikings shootout, the D found some answers despite the two teams combining for 82 points Friday night at RV.

"The first half we gave up 31. The second half we only gave up 3," River Valley coach Doug Green said. "We got the stops we needed. You could see the excitement and enthusiasm a little bit, and we started getting after it.”

River Valley beat Ontario 48-34 in a key Mid Ohio Athletic Conference football game.

While the defense was the story late, it was the two offenses the shined, especially early.

Ontario (3-2, 0-2) took the ball on the first possession of the game and on the seventh play of that drive, sophomore quarterback Bodpegn Miller scrambled for a 70-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.

River Valley (3-2, 1-1) used its ensuing possession to answer the bell when senior quarterback Cayden Shidone found fellow senior Grant Butler for a 68-yard touchdown pass. Shidone went on to find Butler in the end zone twice more as the game went on.

Ontario came out on its next possession and put together another long drive. This time it was 10 plays and a steady dose of junior running back Chase Studer before Miller found Braxton Hall for a Warrior touchdown for a 14-7 lead with a little more than four minutes to go in the first quarter.

River Valley again matched the Warriors as Shidone marched the Vikings down the field, picking up big chunks of yardage through the air. A 10-yard throw to Blake Mosher gave the Vikings their second touchdown and knotted the score at 14 at the end of the first quarter.

In the second period, Ontario kept up its methodical offensive effort. The Warriors used 10 plays to get down field, but the Viking defense held after a first-and-goal series from the 10. Ontario’s Jack Belding booted his first of two field goals on this drive, splitting the uprights from 32 yards to make it 17-14.

The Vikings fumbled the kickoff and Ontario recovered. Five plays later the Warriors were in the end zone, this time behind a 1-yard run from Studer, who had 25 carries for 139 rushing yards on the evening. It put the Warriors up 24-14.

"Last week we got on that see-saw back-and-forth with score, score, score and we never could get it flipped where we could get a stop and get up a score," Green said.

That would change Friday night.

Cayden Shidone continued to lead the Vikings down the field, this time through the air with completions to his brother Keyan and to Blake Mosher. The elder Shidone also scrambled on the drive before a 23-yard touchdown pass to Grant Butler to cut it to 24-21.

Ontario stuck with it and put together a 16-play drive.

“Anytime you play a team like them, you try to keep them off the field," Ontario coach Aaron Eckert said. "I thought we did a good job keeping them off the field in the first half.”

River Valley showed signs of life on defense by making the Warriors earn every yard. Ontario had to overcome a sack from River Valley’s Dylan Barr on this drive, and it eventually scored on a pass from Miller to Hall to go up 31-21 by halftime.

On its first possession of the second half, River Valley wasted no time and scored on its third play. Cayden Shidone took it himself and ran 35-yards for the score to again trim the lead to three points.

Ontario didn't convert a fourth down-and-18 on the next possession, and the Vikings only needed one play to score again. It was Shidone to sophomore Jaxon Caudill for a 62-yarder, giving the Vikings their first lead of the game at 34-31.

Ontario continued to put together incredible drives. This time it was a 17-play series that resulted in Jack Belding’s second field goal, this time from 28 yards to tie it at 34.

By the end of the third period, Cayden Shidone found the end zone on the ground again, putting the Vikings up 41-34. River Valley took its first possession in the final period down the field on a 58-yard pass from Shidone to Shidone. A couple penalties later and Cayden Shidone found Butler for a third scoring connection, putting River Valley up 48-34.

From there, the defense took over.

The Vikings forced a fumble and had an interception by Brock Mosher and Grant Butler on back-to-back defensive stands to seal the game for the Vikings.

"Through athletics and the game of football you have setbacks, and we’ll work to get better and see how resilient we are," Eckert said.

Cayden Shidone led all passers with 473 yards and five touchdowns. He added two scores with his legs. Ontario’s Bodpegn Miller finished with 135 yards through the air.

Keyan Shidone was the favorite target for RV, adding nine catches for 209 yards. Butler added 106 yards and three receiving touchdowns. Ontario ran the ball effectively with Chase Studer picking up 139 yards on the ground. The Warriors had 319 rushing yards between Studer, Miller, and senior Drew Yetter.

Next week River Valley will travel to Pleasant and Ontario will host Clear Fork.