The Friday night lights were a little too bright for Grandview’s return to varsity football.
Paced by three rushing touchdowns by senior running back Sam Elders and an early safety, Scott City shut out the host Eagles 50-0. The Rams are a Class 1 school from Southeast Missouri. Grandview, Class 2, played a junior varsity schedule last season to replenish its football numbers.
The Eagles hadn’t played a varsity game since October, 2016 and they looked like they hadn’t against Scott City, especially in the first half when they were behind 43-0. The second half was played with a running clock because of the 35-point mercy rule.
"The second half we made some adjustments and did some things well,” said Grandview head coach Dave Dallas who was hired in 2017 and guided the Eagles through a junior varsity schedule last fall. “We played harder. Offensively Scott City came out in the spread and ran the counter. We hadn’t seen that on their game film. My hats off to them. Are they 50 points better than us? I don’t think so. We can grow from this and make the adjustments emotionally and mentally.”
Grandview sophomore quarterback Jakob Brand injured a toe in the second half and didn’t return. He was replaced by freshman Clayton Riddle, whose last pass of the game was intercepted as the Eagles were marching toward the end zone.
Burch mulches Owls in first half
For the third straight season non-conference opponents St. Pius X and Windsor kicked off a new season against each other.
The Owls beat the Lancers in 2016, but St. Pius won 28-0 last year in Imperial, visited Windsor again Friday night and won 42-14.
Senior running back Dustin Burch had three short rushing touchdowns in the first half and senior Jalen Thornton's fumble return for a TD midway through the second quarter gave the Lancers a commanding 27-7 lead.
Sophomore running back Michael Bollinger had two rushing scores in the second half for St. Pius.
Windsor quarterback Derek Williams had a rushing TD in the first quarter and running back Chris Butts scored the Owls’ other touchdown in the final stanza. Defenders Larry Stallings and Austin Henry had interceptions for Windsor.
Warriors run over Tigers
Fox rushed for 318 yards against visiting Festus on Friday night and won the non-conference opener for both teams 27-6.
Senior fullback Bobby Neibert rushed 19 times for 120 yards and senior RB Cole Elwood scored two touchdowns for the Warriors. Elwood’s first TD was a 17-yard scoring strike from quarterback Gavin McGinness in the second quarter. His second score was a 42-yard run in the third quarter.
Elwood had a one-handed interception in the Fox end zone in the second quarter. He had nine last season.
The Tigers scored their lone TD with 2:08 left in the game on a 2-yard pass from Daylen Wagoner to Cayse Martin.
Hawks hold off Tigers
In boys soccer on Friday at Hillsboro, the Hawks shut out Festus 1-0 in the Jefferson County Activities Association opener.
Senior forward Andy Maynard scored the game’s only goal for Hillsboro at 6:53. The Hawks hit the crossbar behind Festus goalkeeper Jack Uskiwich twice. Uskiwich made several outstanding saves and kept the Tigers within striking distance.
Senior keeper Seth Oshia wasn’t tested much and got the shutout for the Hawks, who beat the Tigers 5-0 when the teams met in last year’s Class 3 District 2 tournament.
OTHER COUNTY FOOTBALL SCORES: Chaffee 20, Crystal City 0; De Soto 6, Perryville 3; Herculaneum 18, Cuba 14; Hillsboro 30, Sullivan 17; Jefferson 51, Bishop DuBourg 6; Seckman 27, Washington 13