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Elkhart's Tyler Griffith scores a touchdown against Grapeland during the first quarter of the game Friday night in Elkhart.
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Grapeland rallies to top Elkhart
By WAYNE STEWART
Herald-Press
After a rough first half the Grapeland Sandies put it all together in the second half, slogging through the mud to score 14-unanswered points off of Elkhart turnovers in a 20-18 win.
Down 17-6 Elkhart came out strong in the third quarter. On the Sandies second possession after halftime they showed their quick-strike capability when Grapeland quarterback Cameron Boyd hit Ta’Coyus Walker on a 66-yard scoring strike following a fumble by the Elks. The two-point conversion attempt failed, but the with the quick score Grapeland had cut Elkhart’s lead to 17-12, entering the fourth quarter.
“We couldn’t have played any worse than we did in the first half,” Grapeland head coach Curt Failge said after the game. “I told the kids to turn the scoreboard off and just keep firing and scoring. They came out and that’s what they did.”
They did that on both sides of the ball in the second half, quelling Elkhart drives with opportunistic plays.
The Elks were showing some spark in the final frame, but an errant pass by Elkhart quarterback Lane Grant fell into the hands of Grapeland’s Walker.
Grapeland running back Reshawd Shepherd did the dirty work on the next drive scoring on a 14-yard run around the rights side, bouncing off Elkhart defenders and into the end zone. The Sandies added two points on a pass from Boyd to Devan Mayfield.
Up 20-17, it was now up to the Grapeland defense to hold the Elkhart offense. They managed it too, forcing Elkhart to punt on its next possession.
After getting the ball back at mid-field with 11 seconds left, Elkhart had one last chance, but Grapeland defensive lineman Aaron Hatton ended the game when he came from Grant’s blind side for a sack. Without any timeouts, the clock ran out on Elkhart’s comeback attempt.
The first half was a completely different story with Elkhart dominating the game and the scoreboard.
The Elks score first when Grant ran the ball in for a 2-yard touchdown in the first quarter.
Elkhart kicker Bryce Fillmore showed his kicking ability when he hit a 44-yard field goal in the third quarter, to answer a Grapeland touchdown off a 1-yard plunge by Boyd.
The Elks scored again when Grant got into the end zone again for the Elks on a 2-yard plunge.
That was all Elkhart could muster, though, as Grapeland put the clamps on in the second half.
“We just were not in the right mindset in the first half,” Faigle said. “But, we got refocused and got back into the game.”
The win gave Grapeland a boost headed into district.
“We had to have this win,” Failge said. “We couldn’t go into district and face Alto with three straight losses — we really needed this.”
The night belonged to Boyd who threw for 307 yards on 13-of-30 passing with an interception and a touchdown.
Shepherd led the Grapeland rushing attack with 15 carries for 64 yards.
Grant led Elkhart with 140 yards on 9-of-16 passing and on the ground as well, running for 94 yards on 16 carries.
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