Grizzlies Rally Past Bulldogs 35-28
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style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";
background:yellow;mso-highlight:yellow'>Dynamic Duo Delivers for Grizzlies:
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115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>It was 'Red Out,' night at Grassfield High School in
Chesapeake on Friday when the host Grizzlies welcomed in visiting King's
Fork. The Bulldogs upset Grassfield a
season ago to knock them from the ranks of the unbeaten, and with 13 minutes
remaining in the Southeastern District tilt this year, it appeared the outcome
would be the same again.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Thanks to a couple of enormous special teams plays, Grassfield
turned a 14-point deficit late in the
third quarter into a memorable 35-28 comeback win over the Suffolk school,
improving the Grizzlies' record to 3-0 on the campaign.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"Last year, this team came in here and beat us on our
Homecoming. It hurt me so bad and I
wasn't letting that happen this year," remarked Grassfield's
Vincent Lowe, part of a 1-2
playmaking punch for the Grizz alongside fellow
senior speedster Isaiah Harper that
proved to be the catalyst in their rally.
"Any second the game can turn around and we showed that tonight."
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Trailing King's Fork 6-0 late in the second quarter,
Grassfield got on the board with 3:41 before half-time on Lowe's 71-yard
touchdown run, followed by an extra point that would put them ahead by one, but
only briefly. The Bulldogs answered with
a touchdown and two-point conversion to claim a 14-7 led going to the break.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Grassfield opened the second half with a nine-play,
60-yard scoring drive in 4:24, capped on Harper's 12-yard touchdown run to knot
the score at 14-all. King's Fork
re-gained control on the very next series, though.
style=> The Bulldogs would be backed up five yards on
a penalty on third down, but they managed to silence the home fans with a
56-yard touchdown pass from senior Uriah
Adams to junior Ty'Quan
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'> Weston.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Adams' 20-yard touchdown run gave King's Fork a 28-14
advantage with only 1:46 left in the third quarter, and Grassfield was
definitely in the danger zone until Harper, an Old Dominion commit, bailed them
out of a jam.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Slipping away from several defenders, Harper broke free
for a 91-yard kickoff return that ignited a 21-point burst in a span of 7:34 to
take Grassfield from down double-digits to up seven.
style=> Shortly thereafter, the duo of Lowe and
Harper teamed up for a touchdown when Lowe blocked a punt, Harper scooped it up
at the five-yard line and ran it in for his third score of the evening.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"My body went numb and I couldn't believe I did
that. I was really excited," said Lowe
of his block. "I feel like we wait for
the game to develop, which we've got to stop doing.
style=> It was a great ballgame and we gave the fans
what they came to see."
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Lowe made an interception on third down on the next
series, and following by first down runs from the tandem of Harper and Lowe,
Grassfield scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 14-yard touchdown pass by
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Brett Smith to
normal'>Beltran Skinner with 6:13 left to play.
style=> King's Fork saw its final drive fizzle out
just inside the 45-yard line of the Grizzlies.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"I think the kick returned sparked it, and then the
punt was icing on the cake. That was it
after that," believed Harper. "On the
return, I thought I saw a hole and it closed, and then after that I just took
some shots, spun around, it opened and I used my speed."
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>As they have often done at in their time at Grassfield,
Harper and Lowe energized the home fans with exciting, game-changing plays.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"I thought the big play was the kickoff return by
Isaiah, and then after that I thought our crowd and our fans really got into
it. I can't emphasize enough our
crowd. It made a big difference.
style=> Once that momentum started to swing, our
young kids really started to believe in themselves and play with emotion.
style=> I thought that was huge for us and we never
looked back," stated Grassfield Head Football Coach
normal'>Martin Asprey afterwards.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"This was a great High School Football game
tonight. I think people come to
Grassfield and see a great atmosphere. I'm
very proud to be a Head Football Coach in this Grassfield community."
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
mso-highlight:yellow'>Senior LB Steps Up:
style=> When last season ended, Grassfield knew that
in order to be in the Championship hunt this year they would have to find a
replacement at linebacker for All-Eastern Region and All-Southeastern District
First Team performer Marcus Mitchell, who's starting as a true freshman at
Division III Randolph-Macon.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Insert Skinner, who was in on 11 total tackles, nine of
the solo variety. His stop on third down
with the Grizzlies trailing 28-21 early in the fourth quarter was huge in
setting up the punt block.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"I'm very proud of Beltran.
style=> He's trying to fill the void of Marcus
Mitchell. That's a tough void,"
class=SpellE>Asprey pointed out. "Our
other linebacker, Chris Newell,
played well tonight. We have some
sophomores with Grant Holloway and
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Noah [
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Tieskoetter] back there.
style=> We've just got to keep growing and getting
better every week."
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
mso-highlight:yellow'>King's Fork RB Runs Wild:
style=> With ex-Bulldogs star Davon
Grayson, a true freshman starting for East Carolina at wide receiver, in
attendance, King's Fork got a big-time effort from sophomore tailback
class=SpellE>Deshaun
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'> Wethington.
style=>
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Although it came in a losing cause, Wethington
ran for 241 yards and a touchdown on 27 attempts.
style=> He had 11 runs of 10 yards or more, eight in
the first half when he rolled up 158 yards on 16 touches.
style=>
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"He's a stud," said Asprey of
Wethington, a two-sport standout that also excels in
basketball. "That's a good football team
and we knew if we let those horses run we were going to be in trouble."
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>By displaying a blend of speed, strength and moves in
space, Wethington gave Grassfield's
defense problems all night long. The guy
nicknamed 'Debo,' made a lasting impression on the
Grizzlies, even drawing praise from one of the better running backs in the
state in the Class of 2014.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"He's a great athlete and still has a couple more years
here in the district. He's going to be
one of the best if not the best back in the 757 I believe before he's done,"
believes Harper.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
mso-highlight:yellow'>Despite Departures, Grizzlies in Good Shape:
style=> Many wondered what to expect from Grassfield
in 2013. Sure, the devastating combo of
Lowe and Harper returned, but they lost starting quarterback Blake
class=SpellE>LaRussa to Bishop Sullivan, their leading receiver Paris
Smith graduated, Mitchell and a number of key parts on defense graduated as
well, and the entire offensive line is brand new.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>To be 3-0 after a stretch where they beat a team that
they lost to a year ago and won convincingly over another that they only
defeated by a point in 2012 is quite encouraging for the Grizzlies' players and
coaches at this point. Their schedule
will only get tougher when they face the likes of Western Branch and Oscar
Smith in October on their march to the 6A postseason.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"When you're replacing Paris Smith and some of the kids
we had last year, we lost a lot of production.
It's exciting for us, and I keep telling them you've just got to keep
playing," commented Asprey.
style=>
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"We'll worry about those other teams later.
style=> That's for people who read the paper the next
morning, criticize coaches or 'oh this guy has 25 D-1 football players.'"
115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Grassfield's
style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
seniors have plenty more important games that await them, both home and
away. Nonetheless, this latest win will
be one that they will certainly reflect on when their careers are over.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"It was unbelievable," Harper added.
style=> "We were down, but we weren't out, did what
we were supposed to do in the second half, and it really shows our character as
a team and how we work together to get the W."
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>
115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";text-decoration:none;text-underline:
none'>Postgame Audio with Grassfield Coach Martin Asprey
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style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Final
Stats:
style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Grassfield
Grizzlies 35:
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style=> (3-0 Overall)
Isaiah Harper - - 14Car. 113Yds. TD; 1Rec. 22Yds; 91-Yd. KR TD, 5-Yd. PR TD
Vincent Lowe - - 11Car. 98Yds. TD; 4 Tackles, TFL, INT
Brett Smith - - 6-13 for 64Yds. 1-1TD/Int. ratio
Beltran Skinner - - 11 Tackles (9 Solo)
Grant Holloway - - 1Rec. 13Yds.; 5 Tackles, 2TFL, Sack
Josh McNair - - 6 Tackles (4 Solo), Sack
Julian Goodwyn - - 5 Tackles, 3TFL
style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>King's
Fork Bulldogs 28:
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style=> (2-1 Overall)
Deshaun Wethington - - 27Car.
241Yds. TD (16Car. 158Yds. TD in 1st Half
class=GramE>)
Uriah Adams - -6-8 for 69Yds. 1-1TD/Int. ratio; 13Car. 32Yds. 2TD's
Ty'Quan Weston - - 4Rec. 66Yds. TD; 3 Tackles, INT
David Tillery - - 7 Tackles (5 Solo), TFL, 0.5 Sack
Marquell Hart - - 5 Solo Tackles
Truman Boyd - - 5 Solo Tackles
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