Archbald, PA — BLAKELY — Valley View football players were inspired by a salute to service, the honored veterans and new members of the armed forces who they greeted during a pregame ceremony, and a celebratory cannon shot that rocked John Henzes/Veterans Memorial Stadium. The second-ranked Cougars played with passion and intensity, scored in myriad ways, and got a solid performance out of the defense in a 40-13 win over Honesdale on Friday night in a nonconference football game. Camryn Higgins led a multi-threat offense with 107 yards rushing and was one of four Cougars to reach the end zone. Preston Reed added 66 yards rushing and two touchdowns, and Casey Malsberger threw for 75 yards and a touchdown for Valley View, which had 399 yards of total offense. “We were hyped, especially for the veterans,” Higgins said. “We really wanted to get the win for them. “My line is always protecting me. This week, I saw the holes a lot better. I am just working to get better and run harder each week.” alley View (3-0) got right to work when Reed scored on a 7-yard run with 8:24 to play in the first quarter. It was the first instance where the Cougars capitalized on a Honesdale miscue when the punter dropped to a knee to receive the snap at its 30-yard line. Honesdale strung together a methodical drive, but Valley View’s Nick Kucharski made a leaping, acrobatic interception at the 1. Valley View’s defense also had key stops throughout the game. Gianni Marino and Aidan Smith each had fumble recoveries in the second quarter that led to scores, while Robbie Nolan and Marino had back-to-back sacks that thwarted a Hornets drive that reached the Valley View 14 late in the third quarter. In addition, after Honesdale’s Cameron Hedgelon had a 32-yard punt return to the Cougars 8, Marino stopped Mason Avery for a 1-yard loss on fourth down from the 4. “Our mentality is to outphysical the other team, and I think we did that,” said Marino, who finished with seven tackles. “We just came back when they knocked us down.” Backed up at its own 5, Valley View turned to Higgins, who pushed the lead to 14-0 when he scored on a 3-yard run. He provided sprints of 17 and 43 yards on the drive. After Marino’s fumble recovery, backup quarterback Zach Cwalinski threw a dart to Christopher Savkov for a 25-yard touchdown for a 21-0 lead at 2:43 in the second. “I thought that we played great,” said Savkov, who finished with 48 yards on two catches. “Zach threw a great ball for the touchdown. Having the passing game helps open things up for our running game.” On Honesdale’s next possession, Smith jumped on a loose ball, and the Cougars took over at the 31. Malsberger hit Savkov for 23 and tight end Kyle Rupp for 8 and a touchdown for a 28-0 lead with 1:40 left in the half. “We have been practicing the 2-minute offense in practice,” Rupp said. “Our quarterback, Casey, was really calm, and we drove and put the ball in the end zone.” Honesdale’s highlight came when Hedgelon broke a tackle and outran the Valley View cover team for an 85-yard touchdown to make it 28-7 at the half. It took Valley View eight plays to cover 65 yards on its first possession of the third quarter, as Reed powered his way to a second touchdown from 14 yards for a 34-7 lead. “I feel like the running game is coming together,” Reed said. “I love the energy in this game. It is one of the best games to be around.” Valley View’s young players got into the action in the fourth quarter, and junior quarterback Tim Ulkoski hit Brady Skeen for a 4-yard touchdown pass on fourth down and a 40-7 lead. Honesdale (0-3) freshman Gabe Duda, who had 34 yards rushing in the game, scored on a 1-yard run to close out the scoring. The drive featured a 36-yard catch and run by Max Cummings. “You can’t make mistakes against a team like Valley View,” Honesdale coach Paul Russick said. “We have made a whole bunch of special team mistakes or turnovers, but I think we are way closer than our record indicates. I have a bunch of good kids who are working hard.”