By CHRIS MEGGINSON / For the Reporter

JACKSONVILLE – Both teams opened the season Friday looking for their first win since October 2014, but it was the host Pleasant Valley Raiders coming out on top, spoiling Wiley McKeller’s debut as head coach of the Vincent Yellow Jackets, 42-0.

“We played pretty good in spots, but are just way young and inexperienced,” McKeller said. “We will be a work in progress for a while, but the kids want to learn and we will definitely get things turned around.”

Vincent dressed 30 players, including only two seniors, in the opener against a senior-laden (18) Class 3A team.

After a scoreless first quarter, Pleasant Valley got on the board early in the second quarter with an 18-yard touchdown run by Reagan King. The extra point try was no good, giving the Raiders a 6-0 lead with 11:22 to play in the half. Two minutes later, the Raiders were on the board again, when Colton East turned a reverse into a 72-yard touchdown run. Ethan Borders added a 2-point run to make it 14-0 with 9:24 to play.

Pleasant Valley added another score 18 seconds before the half to make it 21-0 on a QB sneak from Nick Howard.

Borders scored two touchdowns for the Raiders in the third quarter, a six-yard run to make it 28-0 with 9:28 to play and a 37-yard TD run with 1:06 to play in the quarter to make it 42-0. The TD runs bookended a 42-yard pick-6 by Nick Smith with 3:40 on the clock in the third.

Junior defensive tackle Austin Kirk was a bright spot for Vincent’s defense, collecting five tackles for loss and a fumble recovery.

The win snaps a 12-game skid for Pleasant Valley, while the Yellow Jackets’ losing streak extends to 15, including shut outs in seven of the last eight games.

Vincent will take a week off before hosting LaFayette for its home opener Sept. 2.