Cards stack the deck in their favor

 

No one was breathing easy during the Garner-Hayfield/Ventura football game Friday night until the final second ticked off the clock.  The Cardinals were able to hold a one-point advantage for a 21-20 win over South Central Calhoun in Class 2A, District 2 play.

Scoring was slow in the first half and didn’t begin until SCC found the endzone in the second quarter for a 6-0 halftime score.

The Cardinals came alive in the third quarter with Alex Van Gerpen leading the way.  Van Gerpen didn’t see much action in the first half, but more than made up for it in the second half, scoring on three runs.  The first TD came on a 58-yard carry.  Braden Meints connected on the PAT kick, 7-6.  Van Gerpen scored again on a two-yard jaunt into the endzone.  Meints kick was good, 14-6.  SCC scored on a 17-yard pass completion and a two point conversion run, to tie the score, 14-14.  Van Gerpen came through again on a nine-yard run, the kick was good, 21-14.

South Central Calhoun found the endzone one more time in the third quarter, but failed to make a PAT attempt, sealing their fate and G-H/V’s victory, 21-20.

“The O-line did an amazing job, especially in the second half,” said Coach Scott VanDusseldorp.  “We had a great defensive stand at the end of the game preventing a score on three consecutive attempts to win the game.  I can’t say enough about the mental toughness these young men displayed in this game.”

Quarterback Spencer Shaw was 6/9 passing for 108 yards.  He threw one interception.  Josh Engslter was the receiver of choice, catching three tosses for 24-yards.  Seth Williams had one catch for 49-yards, while Shawn Murphy had one for 22-yards and Keith Schwickerath had one for 13-yards.

Van Gerpen led the ground game with 175-yards on 27 carries and three TDs.  Schwickerath had 28-yards on 11 carries and Engstler had 18-yards on seven attempts.  Shaw gained 16-yards on eight carries.

Schwickerath led the defense collecting six solo and four assisted tackles.  He also had 1.5 sacks.  Corey Dodd collected four solo and four assisted tackles.  Engstler had three solo and four assisted tackles, while Nic Tusha had four solo, one assist and 1.5 sacks.  Tyler Buck had - Read More Via e-Edition

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