The last time the Deer Valley football team had an undefeated regular season was 2006. That year they lost the North Coast Section playoff opener. The 2009 Wolverines did not suffer the same fate Friday night, convincingly defeating the visiting Newark Memorial Cougars, 34-3.

The Wolverines were missing three starters due to injury, including starting quarterback, Kristoff Williams. Mike Behr, who filled in for Williams, had no problem keeping the offensive machinery humming for most of the chilly night.

The game actually started a bit shaky for DV. Their opening drive stalled, and the snap on the punt was low, forcing the punter to field the ball with his knee on the ground. Newark Memorial got the ball on the Deer Valley 33-yard line. But the Wolverine defense stood strong, forcing a turnover on downs and giving their offense the ball on their own 24. From that point on, it was all Deer Valley.

On the first play, Sean Combs took the handoff and ran for a 76-yard touchdown. After the ensuing Newark drive stalled, Combs picked up right where he left off. This time, he broke off a 63-yard touchdown run, changing direction multiple times as he weaved through the defense. Brierly Lindberg, who was four of five on PAT’s, made the score 14-0 at the end of the first quarter.

Newark kicker Anthony Benavente made a 37-yard field goal for their only score of the night. The Wolverines immediately answered with an 86-yard drive that ended with a 20-yard touchdown pass from Behr to Tim Jefferies with one minute remaining in the half. One of the few Wolverine setbacks came when Lindberg missed the PAT, keeping the score at 20-3.

The Wolverines had no problem putting the game away in the second half. Combs’ night could have been even better – he returned a punt for a touchdown that was nullified by a penalty. Ironically, this proved to be a positive for Deer Valley. They still drove for a touchdown, in the process running off six minutes of clock and essentially ending Newark’s already slim comeback hopes.

The next Wolverine scoring drive traveled 95 yards and lasted more than nine minutes. Phillip Farmer’s 1-yard touchdown plow with under five minutes left closed the scoring.

“They did a really great job,” said Deer Valley Coach Rich Woods. “We had three starters out and I am very pleased with the way we played. The plan is to have (the injured players) back next week. We sat them this week to be sure that they would be good for the playoff run.” As for his next opponent, Woods is confident his team can beat anyone if they play the way they did against Newark.

Combs summed up his game with a succinctness reminiscent of Julius Caesar: “I got loose, I followed my blocks and I scored.” He added, “Every day I go hard in practice. We are thrilled to be 11-0. We’ve never done this in school history. We just want to keep it going.”

They will have that opportunity Friday, Nov. 27 at 7 p.m. Deer Valley, which at 11-0 is the only undefeated Division I team in the NCS, will host Pittsburg (7-4 overall, 4-1 league). Deer Valley won their first encounter 35-33 in one of the best BVAL games of the season.