Tri-Valley–Sullivan West: Two 4–1 Teams, One Division Test

Tri-Valley (4–1) at Sullivan West (4–1) · Friday, October 16 · 7 p.m. · Lake Huntington

Tri-Valley and Sullivan West meet Friday with matching 4–1 records, three straight wins apiece and a chance to take control of eight-man Division 1.

The Bears are coming off their highest-scoring game of the season. The Bulldogs return home after a shutout and can clinch a playoff place with a win. Tri-Valley has already secured its place in KOT845’s qualification calculation.

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Noren gives Sullivan West a clear assignment

The Bears beat Pine Plains/Rhinebeck 46–32 after trailing 26–22 at halftime, outscoring the Bombers 24–6 after the break. That recovery is worth recognizing. So is the player production behind it.

Logan Noren finished with 276 rushing yards on 18 carries and five touchdown runs against Pine Plains/Rhinebeck. Those scores covered 56, 15, 28, 24 and 55 yards.

Three touchdown runs of at least 50 yards make preventing long gains a clear assignment for Sullivan West. The Bulldogs need disciplined pursuit and tackles that finish the play. Letting a runner turn a manageable gain into a touchdown can undo several otherwise good defensive snaps.

Tri-Valley has followed its 46–12 loss to Millbrook/Webutuck with wins over Fallsburg, Rockland Central and Pine Plains/Rhinebeck. Friday tests how much of that offensive progress travels against Sullivan West.

Sullivan West has a defensive standard to carry forward

The Bulldogs beat Eldred 34–6 earlier in their winning streak and shut out Fallsburg 30–0 last week. The Fallsburg result is one useful shared-opponent comparison: Tri-Valley won that matchup 26–8.

Sullivan West has allowed six points across those two division wins. Noren presents the next test: the Bulldogs need to make Tri-Valley sustain drives and prevent the long touchdown runs that powered the Bears last week.

For Tri-Valley, the defensive assignment matters just as much. Scoring 46 was enough against Pine Plains; allowing 32 gave that opponent opportunities to keep the result in doubt. The Bears need stops that let their own offense play with control.

The recent series gives Sullivan West a standard to protect

Those are the three most recent meetings in KOT845’s available series results. They explain the size of the challenge for Tri-Valley without deciding what this year’s teams will do.

Closing that gap requires more than arriving with the same overall record. The Bears need their offensive improvement to hold up against this opponent, and they need to interrupt Sullivan West’s possessions often enough to avoid chasing the game.

What the winner gains

Both teams are 2–0 in division games. The winner moves to 3–0 and earns the head-to-head result.

Sullivan West can clinch a playoff place with a win. Tri-Valley’s place is already secured, but its seed and the division-title race remain live. Each division sends three teams to the playoffs; the division winner earns an opening-round bye.

Tri-Valley still has Eldred on October 24. Sullivan West still has Rockland Central on October 23. A secured berth and a settled final seed should not be treated as the same thing.

Coach I’s pick: Sullivan West

I’m taking Sullivan West at home. The recent defensive results and the Bulldogs’ success in this matchup support that pick. Tri-Valley’s response against Pine Plains—and Noren’s ability to change a game on one run—give me a clear reason to take the Bears seriously.

The Bulldogs need to make Tri-Valley earn its points over sustained drives. The Bears need their best recent offensive performance to become something they can repeat against a stronger defensive test.

Read Coach I’s reasoning for all 21 games →

Tri-Valley team page → · Sullivan West team page → · Live standings →

Sources: KOT845’s Tri-Valley Week 5 recap, team schedules and available series results; Sullivan West’s 30–0 result. Playoff conditions are KOT845 calculations from the published handbook and completed games; official eligibility and seeds remain Section IX decisions.