PROSSER – Although it’s proven to be a winning formula, Prosser football coach Corey Ingvalson could think of better ways to secure a victory.

The Mustangs, much like they did in Week 2 against Othello, overcame a sluggish first half – buoyed by a couple big plays – then raced away from East Valley after intermission.

Prosser, ranked fourth in the VarsityWA Class 2A rankings, beat previously unbeaten East Valley, 42-24, on Friday night at Art Fiker Stadium.

It was the first of three games of a round robin between the CWAC’s top three teams. Next Friday, the Mustangs, who improved to 7-0 overall and 6-0 in the CWAC, will host No. 8 Selah, which boasts the same record after beating Ellensburg, 41-12, before a Homecoming crowd.

Prosser’s first 7-0 start to a season since going 13-0 before falling to Lynden in the Class 2A championship got off to a slow start.

Running barely a dozen plays in the first half, the Mustangs struggled to get going. If not for Brody Buxton’s 80-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and Luis Lizola’s scooped fumble taken to the East Valley 2-yard line, Prosser would’ve been in deep trouble going into halftime.

“Credit to them,” Mustangs coach Corey Ingvalson said. “They kept the chains moving, and it was hard to get into a rhythm. It was very similar to Othello, and a couple explosives kept us in it.”

Meanwhile, the Red Devils, the defending CWAC champions who reloaded with a strong sophomore class and key seniors, were humming right along.

After Angel Lopez’s field goal on the opening drive, sophomore quarterback Liam Peterson and senior receiver Josh Walruff went to work.

A 35-yard hookup on third down kept East Valley driving, and Peterson hit Walruff for an 11-yard score to answer Buxton’s return.

Following a Prosser punt, the Red Devils were again on the move before the Mustangs got to Peterson, dislodging the ball, which Lizola grabbed to set up senior Korbyn Hopwood’s 2-yard score.

EV fired right back, with a 31-yard Peterson-to-Walruff pass on a fourth-and-six setting up a 7-yard quarterback keeper for a score to send the Red Devils into intermission with a 17-14 lead.

After the break, Prosser would rev up, aided by terrific field position.

Two penalties gave the Mustangs at the 50-yard line to start the second half, and four plays later lefty quarterback Daniel Diaz found Xzander Espino for a 25-yard touchdown, to give the Mustangs the lead.

They would add on just three minutes later, with Owen Denny recovering a fumble near midfield, which led to Diaz’s 11-yard scoring toss to Aiden Garcia.

“We wanted to make a conscious effort of going to our outside guys,” said Ingvalson, noting the defensive effort by the Red Devils to slow Buxton. “In the end, we pieced some things together.’

Diaz hit Espino for a second score, as the Mustangs’ lead ballooned to 35-17.

Peterson and Walruff struck again for a 53-yard score, before Hopwood moved under center and snuck in from a yard to cap the scoring.

East Valley fell to 6-1 overall and 5-1 in CWAC play, and will host Grandview on Friday before heading to Selah on Oct. 29.

Prosser now begins planning for the Vikings, and standout senior running back Calen Wuitschick, who had rushed for 20 touchdowns heading into Friday night.

“We didn’t play our best, and we have a whole lot to work on before Selah,” Ingvalson said. “He’s as good as there is in the state.”