GRUVER — It’s a date on the calendar that is circled before the season starts. A proverbial heavyweight bout, if you will.
The latest meeting between the Gruver Greyhounds and Stratford Elks, two Texas Panhandle archrivals, did not disappoint.
In an instant classic, Gruver had to lean on two late defensive stands to hold off a determined Stratford squad by way of a narrow 28-26 decision in a District 1-2A Division II clash on Friday night at Greyhound Stadium.
It was essentially a tale of two halves, with an offensive fireworks display in the first half and a test of wills in the final stretch.
Gruver jumped out early by relying on two touchdowns from junior Mason Lankford, with one of those scores being a kickoff return for six. Along with a touchdown dive from junior quarterback Jett Pittman, and a 95-yard scoring sprint from sophomore Jax Cantu to build up a 28-14 halftime lead.
Stratford refused to go away, and crept back into the game as the second half marched onward.
With 9:23 left in the game, Stratford junior quarterback Hunter Lee found an open seam and weaved through Gruver defenders en route for a 32-yard touchdown. However, Lee’s two-point conversion attempt was stuffed at the goal line by Gruver defenders at the goal line.
On a fourth and four with two minutes remaining, Stratford had 18 yards separating them from gaining the lead. Lee was flushed out of the pocket by Gruver sophomore linebacker Cross Milloy. Lee tossed a pass intended for junior Brox Theis in the endzone, before the football fell harmlessly to the turf.
After the game, Gruver head coach Kurt Haberthur was able to wipe a little sweat from his brow.
“It feels really good to come away with a victory, and that was a dogfight,” said Haberthur. “It’s as good as it gets in this part of the state of Texas. Stratford is a well coached team with great players. Our kids did a lot to hang together, and bend, bend, bend, but not break.”
Lankford is happy to come away with a win and a spot in the district driver’s seat, yet believes that the game was a valuable lesson.
“It’s a great feeling,” Lankford said. “Stratford’s a great team. They prepared well for us, and the good thing about it is, I still think we can get a whole lot better. Knowing that coming out of this game is just a blessing and to come out on top, it just feels amazing.”
For Stratford head coach Stacy Alexander, the second half performance came of no shock to him.
“I wasn’t surprised,” Alexander said, following the game. “It’s just who our kids are. We knew we were up against a really talented football team, and the guys just committed to great effort and not hang their heads at halftime. Being down two touchdowns, all we talked about was one play at a time and ‘how do we get back in this thing.’ They put in the effort to do that, but we just fell a little short.”
Gruver remains unbeaten so far this season, improving to 7-0 with a 1-0 record in district play. The Greyhounds will hit the road, facing off against Bovina at 7 p.m. next Friday at Mustang Stadium in Bovina.
The Mustangs (3-3, 0-1 district) fell to West Texas High in a 44-38 nailbiter on Friday at Comanche Stadium in Stinnett.
“We got to get healthy, get well and fresh again,” Haberthur said. “We need to handle the bus ride and all that. Then, Bovina is going to bring a physical brand of football and give us all they got. We know that.”
Stratford dipped down to 3-2 overall with a 0-1 district mark. The Elks will take a week to refocus and recenter, before hosting the aforementioned Mustangs at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 22, at E.L. “Sam” Bass Stadium in Stratford.
“We just have to figure out a way to use (this game against Gruver) to get better, use it to drive ourselves, use it to learn from, and then go forward,” said Alexander of the Elks’ road ahead. “I feel good about the things we have accomplished. So, we have to go do that again and get ready for Bovina.”
Following an exchange of fumbles to get the nerves out, Gruver struck first when Pittman found Lankford in the flat. Lankford then applied the stiff arm, danced along the sideline and scampered into the endzone from 33 yards out with 9:14 on the clock in the initial stanza.
The Elks tied up the game in the first play of the second period, with senior running back Abe Goss pushing his way into the endzone from five yards out. The play was set up by a big pass from Lee to senior wideout Darius Jones.
Goss picked up 42 yards and his lone score on 12 carries.
Gruver countered on the ensuing kickoff, as Cantu shoveled the football over to Lankford for a reverse. Lankford then used his speed and an escort of teammates to make an 83-yard house call.
“We worked on it all week,” Lankford said of the kickoff return for the touchdown. “We had it planned out. When it came down to it, we executed well. We had great blocking. Our guys did their job and it paid off.”
Lankford led the way for Gruver on both sides of the ball, with 90 yards and a TD on four catches, the kickoff return for six points, and compiling 10 tackles and a tackle for loss on defense.
Pittman then finished off a Gruver drive with a three-yard touchdown run to provide the Greyhounds with a 21-7 advantage. By the end of the evening, Pittman went 7-of-15 for 133 yards with his first quarterback TD pass and an interception.
Stratford kept close, though, as Lee connected with Jones for a 60-yard score. Jones finished the night with 93 yards and one touchdown on six catches, while reeling in an interception on defense.
“Darius is that kind of kid who wants to make every play,” Alexander said of his senior leader. “He’s not selfish in the fact that he wants to make plays. He wants to make plays because his team counts on him to do that.”
Gruver responded, and stretched their lead back to two scores. Sitting on their own five yard line with two minutes left before intermission, Gruver went to the ground game . Cantu received the handoff from Pittman, found an open seam and propelled himself to a 95-yard touchdown run.
“It took all 11 of our players blocking,” Haberthur said of the play. “Once (Cantu) broke it, the people downfield were blocking well. Then, he’s got some jets.”
Cantu rushed for 110 yards and the score on seven carries, and caught three passes for 43 yards.
Stratford did drive down the field in the closing moments of the first half, but couldn’t convert the drive into points. However, Gruver held on to their 28-14 lead heading into the locker room.
When both sides returned to the field, Stratford aimed to close the gap. The lone score in the third quarter came from the legs of backup quarterback Ernesto Casas, who used a run-pass option before turning upfield for a 30-yard touchdown run. The two-point conversion failed, though, with the Elks looking up at a 28-20 deficit.
The Elks continued to apply pressure on the Hounds, as Lee cut to his right and found daylight. Lee then struck paydirt from 32 yards out with 9:23 left in the game.
Lee was 10-of-22 for 113 yards, his second quarter TD pass and an interception. Lee had 108 yards rushing to go with his fourth quarter score.
“Hunter stepped up and ran the ball well,” said Alexander. “I feel like that suits him a little bit better, and we worked on some things to get the ball in his hands and be a runner. We’ve got things to build on, and we’re glad to see what we did and start working toward an identity that we can stick with offensively.”
On the ensuing two-point attempt, Lee was met at the goal line by junior Bo Cowan and Cantu. This prevented the Elks from tying the game. It was a call that Alexander stood by.
“It’s a game of inches,” Alexander said. “One point really didn’t do us any good. With the analytics of football these days, you’re supposed to go for two. If we had to do it over again, I’d do it. I’ve spent too many years calling plays to have to try to beat myself up living with regret.”
With two minutes to play, Stratford threatened again. This time, they wanted the lead. On a fourth down with 18 yards between them and a late score, Lee’s pass fell incomplete.
“You don’t win games like this without the defense stepping up in clutch moments,” said Haberthur. “I’ve been proud of our defense all year. We’re playing really well on that side of the ball.”
Lankford credits his coaches for preparing him and his team for those significant plays.
“It’s such a huge game to be in,” Lankford said of the late stop. “I feel like we have guys all over the place who have been in this situation. So, it’s just a blessing to have them. It’s a blessing to have coaches who prepare us for those moments. We prepare all week for them.”
From there, Gruver junior Trentin Aranda pinned the Elks deep in their own territory with 12 seconds remaining via punt. Stratford attempted laterals to try to capture a fleeting miracle, before being stopped as time expired.
Along with his punting skills, Aranda acquired one interception for the Hounds. Cowan racked up 13 tackles, including one tackle for a loss, five quarterback pressures and one forced fumble. Sophomore lineman Kannon Huckaby was credited with the fumble recovery.
Photo gallery by Tyler Anderson:
