Griswold wins first football opener in 14 years

It was a long time coming, but the Griswold football team is 1-0.
The Tigers used a smothering defensive effort and huge momentum shifting interception return for a touchdown by Callen Keiser to get by East Mills 20-6 in a “zero week” opener for both teams in Griswold Friday.
“You always want to start the season out with a win because it sets the momentum for the rest of the season,” said Griswold coach Seth Lembke after the game. The Tigers’ last win to open the season came in a 49-14 victory over Corning to begin the 2011 season.
“It means a lot to this program to be able to get off on the right foot. That gives us a little more positive momentum heading into the season. Yeah, we still have things to work on but it’s a lot more fun to work on those things from the perspective of winning a ballgame.”
The Vikings got on the board on their first possession of the game following a turnover by the Wolverines.
Quarterback Dain Laverty engineered a 14 play, 58-yard drive capped on his fourth-and-3 play touchdown dart to Keiser later in the first quarter. They would miss the point-after to take the early 6-0 lead.
The two teams traded two scoreless possessions late into the second frame when East Mills figured it out offensively. After holding on a Tigers’ fourth down, the Wolverines took over at the 40 and march down to 4-yard line in four plays. Quarterback Khayden Poorker called his own number on the next play, charging into the endzone from four yards out to knot the score at 6-6 at the half.
The Tigers turned the ball over the opening possession of the second half, but their defense stepped up. Keiser intercepted a Poorker pass deep in Tiger territory and bobbed and weaved 78 yards the other way for a pick-six.
“Cam had a great read on the ball,” Lembke said. “He got the pick. Seems like whenever he gets the ball in his hands, he’s been running around trying to get to the endzone. I think he even did it against East Mills last year and brought it back to the house. Watching him pin ball back and forth, I about hurt myself running down the side lines here.”
Griswold would convert the two-point conversion this time to go up 14-6.
East Mills never seemed to recover offensively. On its final three possessions of the game, the Wolverines would fumble the ball away, turn it over on downs and punt.
The Tigers added an insurance touchdown on a clock-chewing five-minute drive that was capped on Quentyn Ruchti-Wilson’s three-yard scamper with :44 left in the game.
Griswold outgained East Mills 291 to 179.
Laverty, making his debut as the Tigers’ QB1 this season, had a big night. The junior scrambled for 65 yards and passed for 106 yards and a TD.
“Last year, when we threw him in there, obviously a sophomore, young kid, just kind of learning and I think he learned those lessons well,” Lembke said. “He felt very much more comfortable, more in the role, being able to make the reads, make the throws – again, another year of growth and he’s done great things for us and he’s going to continue to do so.”
Poorker threw for 81 yards and rushed for 77 in his first career start for East Mills. The Wolverines didn’t help themselves offensively with four turnovers.
“We had multiple drives where we were getting huge plays and then our youth really showed up on offense,” said East Mills co-head coach Trenton Turney. “Our line offensively gave us a chance. We just couldn’t fit the ball into our receiver’s hand. (Mason) Camden played a heck of a game at corner and receiver and so did Jhalil Reed, forcing a fumble. Defense did great we only gave up a few plays, but when you turn the ball over four times and one is a pick six with our youth that is just a hole that’s hard to come out of.”
The Tigers go on the road to face Stanton Friday. East Mills has a bye week before returning for a home game against Stanton on Sept. 4.