VALLEY CITY, N.D. — The Valley City Hi-Liners picked up their first win of the season Friday, defeating Sargent County 30-8 behind three rushing touchdowns from Corbyn Powell.

After both teams traded punts to open the game, Valley City drove deep into Bulldogs territory but came up empty after a bobbled snap ended the possession inside the 10-yard line. The Hi-Liners defense responded with another stop, and Owen Hunt broke through to block the ensuing punt, which was recovered for a safety to put Valley City ahead 2-0.

Powell took over on the next two drives, punching in a pair of touchdowns to extend the Hi-Liners’ lead to 16-0. Sargent County grabbed some momentum before halftime, however, as its defense intercepted a late-developing screen near the goal line and returned it for a touchdown, cutting the deficit to 16-8 at the break.

Valley City reestablished control in the third quarter with another Powell score to push the lead to 22-8. The Hi-Liners defense tightened from there, as Jack Dieterle recorded two sacks and Chase Coghlan came away with his first interception of the season. In the fourth quarter, Kaleb McClaflin added a short touchdown run to seal the 30-8 victory.

Valley City (1-2) will travel to Lisbon to face the Broncos on Friday, Sept. 12. The game will be broadcast on 1490 AM/96.3 FM KOVC and streamed online at NewsDakota.com.