Grundy County sophomore Kegan Kilgore (50) wrestles Sale Creek running back Ridge Morgan (31) to the ground for a loss during Friday’s game against the Panthers.
Grundy County sophomore Kegan Kilgore (50) wrestles Sale Creek running back Ridge Morgan (31) to the ground for a loss during Friday’s game against the Panthers.
Kirbee Hart photo
The Grundy County football team dropped its second contest in a row last Friday, falling 37-6 at Sale Creek.
The Yellow Jackets (3-2) scored first and trailed just 8-6 at the end of the first half, but the Panthers (4-2) found their footing in the third quarter and added four touchdowns to their lead to claim a homecoming win.
Senior Kyler Hopkins lined up at running back in the first quarter and capped off a nine-play, 62-yard drive with his seventh touchdown of the season. The 15-yard scoring run put the Jackets up 6-0 with two minutes to play before the second period, but Sale Creek answered right back to take an 8-6 advantage.
The Panthers marched 65 yards on six plays to take a permanent lead. The home team converted for two points and never looked back.
Despite a scoreless second quarter, SCHS made the necessary adjustments during halftime to pull away from the Yellow Jackets. The Panthers scored 22 points in the third and added a touchdown and extra point in the fourth to put the contest out of reach.
Along with his touchdown in the first, Hopkins led the GCHS offense with 63 passing yards on five completions and 53 rushing yards on 13 carries. Fellow senior Will Foster finished with a second-most 48 total yards, collecting 40 receiving yards and eight rushing yards. Senior running back Colton Rogers added 45 rushing yards to Grundy’s offensive tallies.
On defense, Foster was responsible for 14 takedowns and a sack. He wrapped up nine solo tackles and was one of three Jackets to total 3.0 tackles for loss. Hopkins and Kegan Kilgore each had 10 tackles and 3.0 TFLs.
The Yellow Jackets return home Friday, Sept. 29 to open region play against Community High School. Kickoff against the Vikings (0-5) is set for 7 p.m.
Grundy County is 2-0 all-time against Community. Its two playoff appearances the past two seasons have hinged on defeating the Vikings for third place in the Region 4-3A standings. GCHS pitched a 14-0 shutout in 2021 and bested Community 28-20 at home last season.
Player of the Week
Will Foster, Senior, LB/RB
Senior linebacker Will Foster was a wrecking ball on the gridiron last week, totaling a team-best 14 tackles with nine solo takedowns. He recorded the Jackets lone sack and was one of three to tally 3.0 tackles for loss. In addition to his defensive numbers, he added 48 yards of offense with 40 receiving yards and eight rushing yards.
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