Grizzlies Drop To 2-2

The Grace Grizzlies played an out of state opponent last Saturday at a neutral sight located at Lighthouse Christian Academy.  The Grizzly’s opponent in this game were the Adrian Antelope from Oregon.  The Antelope entered the contest with a record of 2-0 averaging over seventy points a game.  The Grizzlies came in 2-1 while averaging just under fifty points a game.  Each team entered the season among the top teams in their respective states.  Adrian, coming off of two blowout wins, was primed and ready to take on the battle tested Grizzlies who had played three tough teams.  Unfortunately for the Grizzlies, they haven't been able to come away from those early games unscathed.  To go along with their one loss on the season, Grace entered Saturday’s game nursing several injuries putting several players in new positions for this battle between top state challengers.

As the game started, it did't take long for the Antelope to draw first blood on a thirty-nine yard scamper giving Adrian an 8-0 lead with ten minutes still to play in the first quarter.  Grace took a little longer to get their first score as they marched down the field relying heavily on Carson Welch running the ball.  Welch had previously been a starter on the offensive line.  Welch scored on a short three yard run for the Grizzlies and tied the game at eight points.  Still in the first quarter, the Antelope earned another score off of a long sixty seven yard run and retook the lead with three minutes to play in the first.  The Grizzlies put together another drive getting down to the thirty yard line when the first quarter ended.  

The second quarter did not start well for Grace.  The Grizzly drive stalled with three incomplete passes and a sack giving the ball back to the Antelope.  Following yet another long run by their running back, Adrian took the two score lead off of a three yard sweep to the left.  On the ensuing Grizzly possession Grace would go three and out giving the Antelope good starting field position near midfield.  Adrian would flex their muscles and drive the ball down inside the ten yard line before once again running the same scoring seep play to extend the lead to 32-8.  Grace would finally answer back going to the air this time.  With two big completions to Hill from Draper, Grace added six more points but still trailed 32-14.  Adrian found another hole in the Grizzlies depleted defense adding one more score before the half extending the lead to 38-14.  Grace would move the ball to midfield on the next series but the last second heave by Draper fell incomplete and the first half came to an end.  

The second half did not start out well for the Grizzlies either.  After being forced to punt on their first possession, Grace had two of their starting defenders injured on the punt return.  Fortunately the injuries were temporary and both players re-entered the game.  The Grace defense made their first stand of the game and forced the Antelope to punt for the first time in the game.  Grace was unable to move the ball, however, and punted right back to Adrian.  The Antelope with good field position would run right up the middle for a thirty-two yard touchdown and the lead would grow to 46-14.  The Grizzlies got a big play of their own on the next series with a screen pass that went to Hill and he took it fifty yards to the endzone.  The third quarter would end with the score at 46-20.

In their first possession of the fourth quarter, the Grizzlies would drive down to the twelve yard line.  On a second down play, Draper found Andersen in the flat and Andersen would walk into the endzone, cutting into the lead making the score 46-26.  Grace would attempt an onside kick, but a Grizzly player would touch the ball early giving the Antelope a short field to work with.  The Antelope would strike fast getting the ball down to the ten yard line on another big run play up the middle then score on the next play.  The score was now 54-26.  In a last gasp effort, Parker Yost earned a pair of long receptions to get the ball to the twenty five yard line.  A few plays later, Welch added another big run, getting the ball down to the two yard line.  Grace would not be able to punch it in, however, and would turn the ball over on downs.  Adrian would then run out the clock and Grace would suffer their second loss on the season.

This was a very physical game that the banged up Grizzlies just couldn't get a foothold in.  They will have to regroup quickly as they host another undefeated team, Glenns Ferry on Friday.