Grizzlies Earn Redemption

Since joining the eight man football ranks fifteen years ago the Grizzlies have played the Oakley Hornets ten times prior to Friday nights game.  Oakley has won all ten previous match-ups including a state title game two years ago.  Friday night found the Grizzlies in unfamiliar territory as they were finally able to get that monkey off their back in a very big way.

Grace received the opening kickoff and put an impressive opening drive together that was capped off with a short touchdown pass from quarterback Gavin Draper to senior receiver Derek Hill.  After the unsuccessful two point conversion both teams would settle down into a bit of a defensive battle over the next couple of possessions.  Oakley got their first big break of the game when one of their wideouts got behind the Grace defender catching a long pass and running into the endzone.  Oakley was successful on their conversion attempt and took the lead 8-6 but the Grizzlies would not stay down for long.  After a big run by senior Braden Kimball that saw him dance through several defenders, junior running back Chase Smith finished off the drive with a short run up the middle for another touchdown for Grace.  Once again the Grizzlies failed to convert on the two point try but would regain the
lead 12-8.  

The Grizzly defense kept the pressure on and soon Grace had the ball back.  The next big play for the Grizzlies came from junior Cooper Anderson who was able to break free from a tackle after a great hands catch and got the ball down inside the five yard line before being forced out of bounds.  Chase Smith who had several big runs on the night once again found the end zone extending the Grace lead followed by the teams first successful conversion making the score
now 20-8.  

With time running out in the first half Oakley hit their big tight end over the middle with a pass and he got loose into the secondary.  It looked like the Hornets would add another six points to their side but Braden Kimball made a big hit jarring the ball loose.  Kimball was able to get on the ball giving the Grizzlies the ball back with a little over three minutes left in the half.  Yet another Grizzly got into the action when Bryant Moss was able to get open and blaze down the sideline for an apparent touchdown.  Unfortunately for him Grace was called for a block in the back bringing the ball back out of the endzone.  On the next play Oakley returned the favor when they were called for a personal foul of their own, setting the Grizzlies up with a first and goal from the seven yard line.  Kimball would finally get his score in the game on the next play catching a pass from Draper and the Grizzlies headed to halftime leading 26-8.

Opening up the second half the Grace defense continued to make plays as it had done for most of the game.  After forcing a three and out Grace marched down the field again and Bryant Moss caught a short three yard touchdown pass getting back the score he had called back in the first half.  

With control of the game and the lead now at 34-8 the Grace offense made one of their only big mistakes on the night when Draper fumbled the ball on a quarterback run.  Derek Hill  finished his night off with two big plays.  First a huge sack of the quarterback forcing a turnover on downs followed by an impressive seventy yard catch and run between two defenders and scoring his second touchdown of the night.  The third quarter came to a close with Grace now leading 42-8.  

Starting in the fourth Coach Newby started working with some of the younger guys for some varsity reps.  After some back and forth play by both teams senior Bryant Jensen came up with the Grizzlies final big defensive play when he intercepted a tipped pass and returned the ball deep into Hornet territory.  Coach Newby then inserted the entire JV offense to run out the clock.  On a bobbled snap and a broken play freshman quarterback Kade Kimball scored the game's final touchdown followed by a two point conversion pass to fellow freshman Colten Williams.  

The Grizzlies ran away with an early season markee win with a score of 50-8.  The Grizzlies will travel to Raft River this week before coming back home for their homecoming game
against Murtaugh.