It didn’t take long for Grant to put the rest of the PIL on high alert Friday night, as they dominated all three phases of the game en route to a convincing 59-19 victory over Benson.
The Generals got another stellar performance from senior running back Michael Waters (three rushing touchdowns, two more on defense), a suffocating defensive performance, and used both to race out to a 52-0 halftime lead which proved insurmountable for the Techmen.
After getting a quick three-and-out to start the game, Waters put the Generals on the scoreboard by taking a toss play around the left end for a seven yard touchdown, the first of a flurry of big plays for the boys from Grant Park.
Four plays later, Waters found the end zone again as he scooped up a Benson fumble and returned it 21 yards to make the score 14-0 Grant before anyone had even blinked. From there, the Generals never looked back and it got ugly quick.
After the first of two interceptions thrown by Benson quarterback Robert Coleman, Davis hit senior receiver Chris Lewis for a 40 yard touchdown to make it 21-0.
Another quick turnover gave Grant the ball inside Techmen territory and Waters capitalized by scoring from ten yards out to make 28-0.
After two more scoring drives, Waters finished off his night with a 77 yard pick-six to put any hope Benson had of making the contest competitive to rest.
“We were extremely focused coming into this game after what had happened the last two weeks, we really wanted to start off league the right way,” said senior quarterback Sam Davis, who went 5 of 11 for 114 yards with two touchdowns before being pulled at halftime with the game already wrapped up. Davis, who said the Generals “let the rest of the league know that we’re going to be a tough match-up all year,” was poised and in control all night. Had it not been for a couple untimely dropped passes, the General’s signal caller could very well have helped Grant make the score even more lop-sided.
The Grant defense also flexed its collective muscles at times on Friday night, harassing Benson’s offense throughout the game forcing six turnovers and scoring two defensive touchdowns.
Sophomore linebacker Daniel Green led the way with eight tackles, while also intercepting quarterback Robert Coleman twice.
“It’s nice to be on the other side of one of these games,” said Green, who looked like a man possessed at times, showing why many think of him as a possible D1 talent already.
After halftime, both teams were content to run the ball and milk the clock with the outcome already decided. A meaningless touchdown run by Coleman cut Grant’s lead to 59-19 as time expired.
Next up for the Generals is a tough road match-up with Wilson, who dismantled Franklin last week and is looking to make a name for themselves among the PIL elite.
We will be there to cover the game and bring you an in-depth look at what could be the Game of the Week.
Generals Football Blog 