Brandon Long's illustrious career at River Valley was winding down and there was only one logical way to finish it -- score a touchdown.

The senior running back and four-year starter scored on a 28-yard run with 1:31 to play Saturday night to lift River Valley to its first football title with a 28-21 victory over Snowflake in the Division IV championship game at North Canyon High School.

River Valley capped a13-1 season with the win giving co-coaches Paul Duchaineau and Mark Ruckle a championship in their first-year running the show. River Valley's only loss came to D-V champ River Valley back in September. Snowflake, bidding for its first championship since 1993, finished 12-2.

The game was a defensive struggle for three quarters and quickly morphed into a shootout the final 12 minutes. The teams combined for 35 fourth-quarter points with River Valley scoring twice in less than two minutes early in the final quarter to take a 21-7 lead. Snowflake answered with a pair of scores 1-minute, 14-seconds apart to tie the game at 21 with 4:25 to go. An 80-yard scoring drive was followed with an onside-kick recovery that finished with a 27-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Claridge to Travis Flake. Flake then hauled in a two-point conversion pass from Porter Black and it was a 21-21 tie waiting for a fantastic finish.

Long supplied it with a nice round number -- his 100th career touchdown. River Valley took possession at its 31 to begin and Long ripped off a 30-yard run to start things. He added two more short runs that totaled five yards before he swept left end for the game-winning 28-yard TD.

"Our offensive line was struggling all night," Long said. "But we've always managed to come together and get the job done. I thought I was going down, but managed to keep my balance and take it in."

Duchaineau, who runs the offense, wasn't surprised Long found paydirt on the Dust Devils' biggest possession of the season.

"It was all effort, pure effort on his part," Duchaineau said. "He wanted it so bad and took it to the house."

 Long finished with 146 yards rushing. Seventy-four came in the first three quarters on 16 carries. The other 72 were in the final stanza on five totes.

Snowflake had one last possession that ended after four plays and an interception by quarterback-safety-kicker-punter Brady Viles in Snowflake territory with 1:14 left.

Both teams pride themselves on their rushing attacks, but both sides forced the other to throw more often than usual to score points. Snowflake quarterback Tyler Claridge tossed two TD passes to Flake. Viles connected on an electric 82-yard strike to speedy Andres Galvez and then from 20 yards out to David Sanchez that put River Valley up 21-7 and seemingly the game in hand.