GAR ground attack stifles Meyers

WILKES-BARRE — They ran just 15 plays in the first half – one less than the number of flags thrown in that span. They gave up an eight-minute, 76-yard touchdown drive to open the second half.

Penalties – nearly 250 yards worth – would slow Friday’s GAR-Meyers game to a crawl. Then the Grenadiers would inject some life into the contest with a huge play, totaling 380 yards on the ground in a 42-21 rout of their rivals at Wilkes-Barre Memorial Stadium.

Tailback Kurtis Thomas (154) and quarterback Darrell Crawford (150) each hit 150 yards on the ground and scored two touchdowns. The Grenadiers (8-2), who will host Lakeland in the District 2 Class 2A semifinals next week, didn’t attempt a pass. Nor did they need to.

“Offensively, we just kept putting pressure on them,” GAR coach Tony Khalife said. “They were overplaying us in certain formations and we were able to run away from that. I thought our skill players made some good adjustments with their runs.

“Kurtis ran hard, Darrell ran hard. … Whoever had the ball, really, ran well and our line picked it up.”

Crawford scored from 11 yards out in the first quarter and on a 1-yard sneak in the fourth. Thomas had a pair of second-quarter touchdowns, a 25-yarder followed by a 5-yarder.

Even Cody Welgosh got in on the action, as GAR surprised the Mohawks with a quick hitter that sent the fullback virtually untouched for a 45-yard touchdown in the third.

While athletic Meyers quarterback Andrew Forgatch (106 yards rushing, 87 yards passing, two total touchdowns) led a reasonably effective offense that pieced together some extended drives, the Mohawks couldn’t keep up with GAR’s attack.

The Grenadiers ran just four plays in the first quarter but held a 14-0 lead when the opening 12 minutes finally expired. Crawford ripped off a 53-yard run before scoring on another keeper on the next play. Darian Twyman then intercepted Forgatch, taking it back 35 yards for the touchdown.

“Right from the get-go, they played better as a team,” Meyers coach Mike Namey said. “Offensively and defensively. And for us on offense and defense, we just had a lot of errors. We weren’t in this game where we should have been and we allowed too many things to happen.”

Both sides were bogged down by a hailstorm of flags, as the rivals combined to commit 11 penalties for 115 yards in the first quarter alone, several of them of the personal-foul variety.

Junior wideout Robert Waiter led the Mohawks (4-6) with eight catches for 80 yards and two touchdowns, one from Forgatch and another from backup Matt Kropp.