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by David Burnworth

Last night in Hanover the much anticipated game against Powerful Licking Valley and pass happy Granville took place. In reading the message boards many had this one being a blowout game with the Panthers winning easily and when all was said and done a complete domination would be handed out by the hometown Panthers.

Granville got the ball first and the Panthers defense set the tone right off the bat when Grant Markert put the pads on Adam Alderman holding the best receiver in the county to a short gain. With 10:39 left in the opening quarter Cory Becher, the all everything quarterback of the Aces hooked up with super sophomore Josh McKenzie for a first down. The best player in Licking county and future Ohio State Buckeye, Storm Klein got to Becher for a four-yard-loss, with 10:10 showing on the clock.

The Panthers offense would find themselves facing a fourth and two, with 6:04 left in the fast paced first quarter and to the shock of nobody in the standing room only crowd Klein got the ball and powered his way to the first down. Chase Houston would make a nice catch that resulted in another Panther first down with the ball being placed at the Granville twelve-yard-line. Klein would go two-yards untouched to the end zone giving the Panthers a,6-0 lead. The point after was missed leaving the score 6-0 with 3:50 left in the quarter.

The Panthers defense wasted little time shutting the explosive Granville defense down and getting the ball back to their offense. The Panthers offense would need eight-plays to go the fifty-five-yards needed to add another score. The score came with no time left on the clock when Markert caught a beautifully thrown pass by Drew Ryan. A two-point play work when Ryan waltzed into the end zone giving Panthers a big 14-0 lead.

Just fifty-three-seconds into the second quarter Ryan picked off a terribly thrown pass by Becher giving the ball back to the high octane offense. Klein busted off a long run twenty-five-yards with 9:37 left in the half and then with Nathan Hopkins scored the third Panther touchdown. The point after kick by big Vince German put the Panthers up 21-0 with 8:33 left in the opening half.

Granville could have thrown in the towel but that was not an option for a team as talented as they are, so what they did was put together a very nice eight-play-sixty-seven-yard drive that ended with a Chad Ghiloni scoring on a thirteen-yard-pass play. Clint Howarth connected on the point after making the score 21-7.

Klein would tack on nineteen more yards with 5:24 left in the half. That would be followed a short time later by a nice catch by Markert taking the ball down to the Granville five-yard-line. The eight-play-sixty-five yard drive came to a climax when Klein score from two-yards out. The point after by German increased the lead to 28-7.

Klein would score again with 4:59 left in the third quarter as he capped of another eight-play drive that totaled fifty-two-yards. The scoring play was a nine-yard run . The point after was missed leaving the score 34-7, Panthers.

Klein would put scary pressure on Becher forcing the talented quarterback to throw the ball into the hands of big-bad Greg Baker, who acted like John Riggins by powering his way all the way down to the Granville fifteen-yard-line, with 2:38 left in the quarter. Klein would go for thirteen-yards on the drives first play and the score on its next play. The point after increased the lead to 41-7.

The Aces would go on a six-play-seventy-five yard drive that resulted in a touchdown by Josh McKenzie on a four-yard pass. The point after made the score 41-14 with 1:10 left in the third.

Valley would get another score when Nathan Hopkins closed out a seven-play- eighty-five-yard drive, with a short run. The point after kick made the score 48-14.

Granville would score two more times making this one look a lot closer than it was. The first score came on a touchdown pass to Gino Ghiloni from fifteen-yards out. The final came after the Blue Aces recovered an onside kick. The scoring play was a 18 yard pass play to McKenzie. A two-point pass play to McKenzie closed out the scoring making the final score 48-28.

UNOFFICIAL STATS

GRANVILLE

54 PLAYS

389 YARDS

PASSING

30-45 4 TD‚S 2 INT'S

LICKING VALLEY

66 PLAYS

517 YARDS

PASSING

5-8

Tags: high school football