Snake River elite flex muscles, Griz claw out win
By Scott Ford - Argus Observer
Sunday, September 23, 2007 12:20 AM PDT
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| Weiser’s Brandon Richins gets tripped up by a Grizzly defender during Friday night’s Snake River Valley Conference opener between Fruitland and Weiser. The Grizzlies won the smashmouth gridiron battle 28-7. |
Weiser - This Snake River Valley game has been hyped up for the past year. And that hype intensified over the past week. Weiser against Fruitland. The perennial top two teams in the SRV battled tooth and nail, but when the dust settled, the scoreboard favored the visiting Grizzlies, 28-7.
The atmosphere was electric prior to the game, as thousands of fans poured into the stadium. The hill at the far end of the field was packed with orange and red. Children of all ages were playing their own version of the rivalry behind the visitors bench, but the real focus of the night took place on the 120-yard by 50-yard rectangle known as the gridiron.
In addition to the hype of the game, Weiser was also celebrating its Homecoming, but somewhere in the splendor of the game, the Homecoming was quietly put on a back burner.
The intensity began as soon as the two teams took the field. With the opening kick off, 3000 plus fans were on their feet cheering and yelling to root on their team.
Weiser won the toss and elected to receive the opening kick, but things got quiet when the Wolverines went three-and-out on their opening possession.
The Grizzlies’ first crack on offense proved to be more successful, but it too ended in a punt.
The entire first quarter can be described as a feeling out period for both teams, as their respected coaching staffs got a feel for what their counterparts were up to. The opening quarter ended as the it began, 0-0.
Fruitland was in possession of the ball when the second frame began and the Grizzlies were determined to find the glory of the end zone. Using 11 plays and a good five minutes of the clock, the Grizzlies tasted the touchdown glory first. Caleb Crim pounded the pigskin into the end zone from 10 yards out with 7:55 to play in the opening half, but the scoring drive was set up by a 22-yard completion to Kyle Smith from Kaleo Nawahine on the second play of the drive. Nawahine connected with Kole Olinger four plays later for a 36-yard gain, giving Fruitland a first-and-10 at the Wolverine 24-yard line. After a couple of bullets to the foot of the Grizzly attack - a sack for a two yard loss, a penalty for a five yard loss and sweep that was stuffed for another four yard loss, Fruitland once again turned to Nawahine to save the drive. Facing a third and 21 from the Wolverine 35 yard line, Hawahine hit Smith with a strike and a 25-yard gain to Weiser’s 10-yard line, where Crim finished off the drive. The point after attempt failed, giving the Griz a 6-0 lead.
Weiser’s offensive woes continued following the touchdown and the Wolverines were forced in to another three and out.
Fruitland took advantage of the stalling offense of the Wolverines and put together another 11-play scoring drive. This drive was done the old fashioned way, running the football.
Fruitland’s Aaron Smith carried the ball three times for 13 yards, Nawahine added a carry for nine yards and passed twice for 32 yards.
And on the final play of the drive, Fruitland was looking at first and goal from Weiser’s 6-yard line when Zack Fabricius got the call and he made good with a rumble up the gut for six.
Nawahine connected with Micah McMurry for the 2-point conversion, boosting the Grizzly lead to 14-0 with 2:22 to play in the half.
The Wolverines answered with an eight play 67 yard drive, which was highlighted by a 27-yard completion on the first play of the drive.
Gavin Eisenbarth rolled to his left and found a wide open Jacob Scharbrough that put the Wolverines in-to Grizzly territory for the first time in the game.
Weiser moved inside the 10-yard line on an Eisenbarth completion to Logan Iverson, which gave Weiser and first-and-goal from the Fruitland 5-yard line. Weiser celebrated two plays later when Eisenbarth found Scharbrough in the end zone for the score with 34 ticks on the clock. The point after was true and Weiser cut the lead in half, 14-7.
Fruitland came out in the third quarter and put together two solid drives. The first drive ended with back-to-back incompletions at Weiser’s 21-yard line, and the second drive ended with a double reverse pass from Nawahine to McMurry for a 24-yard touchdown with 1:46 left in the third quarter of play. The PAT was good and the Grizzlies were up 14, 21-7.
The Grizzlies went for the jugular mid-way through the fourth quarter when Smith picked off Eisenbarth deep in Weiser territory and returned the gift to the end zone 32-yards, giving the Griz a 28-7 lead with 4:19 to play.
Fruitland ended the game in a prevent defense to secure its fourth straight win.
Fruitland head coach Bruce Schlaich gave credit to his defense for the win.
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