Larks survive with opening win

Published 11:19 pm Thursday, September 1, 2011

Grand Meadow's Richard Bain takes off on a 45-yard touchdown run in the second half against Glenville-Emmons Thursday night in Grand Meadow. - Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com

GRAND MEADOW — Whatever the Superlarks had left in their gas tank, they probably left it on the football field Thursday night.

GM survived a hot, humid night with a 28-25 win over Glenville/Emmons in their season opener.

Dezmon Johnson, center, celebrates with teammates Andrew Bell, left, and Trenton Bleifus after stopping Glenville-Emmons on fourth down in the fourth quarter, sealing the Superlarks win in their season opener Thursday night in Grand Meadow. - Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com

Senior running back Richard Bain gave GM the lead for good when he charged in for a six-yard touchdown to cap a 13-play, 69-yard drive with 1:11 left in the game.

Email newsletter signup

Bain, who had 200 total yards of offense and scored three touchdowns, cramped up after the final score and fell to the ground.

“That was a personal mistake,” Bain said. “I know I didn’t prepare my body correctly for this game and I knew it was going to be hot. This game came to no one man’s success, it was the whole team. We have a lot of new bodies and our line is smaller, but we’re quick and we’ve got heart. We’ve got nine guys out there that are going to play one hundred percent every play.”

GM converted two fourth downs on its final drive as freshman Landon Jacobson broke a tackle and ran for four yards on a fourth and three to the Wolverine 12-yard line and quarterback Trenton Bleifus drew G/E offsides on a fourth and five from the Wolverine 24-yard line.

“Coach wanted to go on three because they would always jump on two. We tried three, but they jumped on one,” Bleifus said.

The Superlarks (1-0 overall, 1-0 SEC) jumped to an 18-8 lead in the third quarter when Bain followed his blockers for a 45-yard scoring run down the right sideline and he busted through the middle while breaking a few tackles on a 65-yard score.

[imagebrowser id=1492]

GE’s Perry Kirsch ran the ensuing kickoff back 85 yards to set up a 10-yard run by quarterback Wyatt Madson to make it 18-14 with 5:22 left in the third. The Wolverines took the lead in the fourth after Derek Olson ran for five yards on a fourth and three and then scored on a two-yard plunge.

Bleifus, who ran for 65 yards, scored GM’s only TD in the first half on a six yard run. He also scrambled for 25 yards on third and three on GM’s game winning drive, but he knows his team could’ve played better.

“We’ve got to work harder in practice and get in shape,” he said. “We can’t take plays off and we needed a little more effort out of everybody.”

The humidity left the GM bench shorthanded as many players went down with cramps and other injuries.

“The weather was a factor, but it was a factor for both teams. I wasn’t very happy with what we did at the line of scrimmage, we just weren’t very consistent,” GM head coach Gary Sloan said. “They’re one of the tougher teams in the front half of our schedule, so we knew we’d have to come out to play.”

For Bain and his teammates, it was nice to pick up a win over the Wolverines after being upset by them in the second round of last year’s playoffs.

“Over half of the team was looking forward to this game two seconds after the last game (last year),” Bain said. “We were already getting pumped up.”

SCORING SUMMARY

GE 8 0 6 8 — 22

GM 0 6 12 7 — 25

First quarter

(GE) Perry Kirsch 1 run (Kirsch pass from Madson) (14 plays, 61 yards) 3:32

Second quarter

(GM) Trenton Bleifus 6 run (run failed) (5 plays, 37 yards) 8:00

Third quarter

(GM) Richard Bain 45 run (run failed) (1 play, 45 yards) 10:44

(GM) Bain 65 run (pass failed) (run failed) (6 plays, 89 yards) 5:42

(GE) Wyatt Madson 10 run (run failed) (1 plays, 10 yard) 5:22

Fourth quarter

(GE) Derek Olson (Kirsch run) (11 plays, 59 yards) 11:28

(GM) Bain 6 run (Nate Morrow kick) (13 plays, 69 yards) 1:11

GM STATS

Rushing: Richard Bain, 19-for-163, 3 TD; Trenton Bleifus, 15-for-66, TD; Landon Jacobson, 8-for-23; Dezmon Johnson, 1-for-3; Andrew Bell, 1-for-3; Cole Harston, 1-for-1

Passing: Bleifus, 3-for-10, 38

Receiving: Bain, 2-for-37; Jacobson, 2-for-6

Interceptions: Harston (1)

Sacks: Brock Johnson (1)

Penalties: 4-for-60

GE STATS

Rushing: Derek Olson, 18-for-81, TD; Perry Kirsch, 5-for-23, TD; Wyatt Madson, 4-for-5, TD; Tyler Belshan, 1-for-4

Passing: Madson, 10-for-17, 83, INT

Receiving: Olson, 3-for-34; Kirsch, 3-for-21; Andrew Everson, 2-for-18; Alex Golbuff, 1-for-5; Belshan, 1-for-5