Team

LaBrae

Record	Div.	Conf.
3/5	Div. V	All-American Conference Blue Tier

By MATT WAGNER

Ashtabula Star Beacon

ORWELL

More often than not during the 2015 high school football season, Grand Valley football games have seen one team score early and often to take a huge lead before the first quarter is up.

Usually that team had been the Mustangs, but on Friday night in a Division V, Region 15 quarterfinal against the LaBrae Vikings at Mustang Stadium, they found themselves on the opposite end of the situation, as the Vikings jumped out to a three-possession lead within the first eight minutes of the game, including scoring on their first two plays from scrimmage.

By the end, fifth-seeded LaBrae went on to spoil GV’s first-ever home playoff game with a 42-7 win.

“Our kids, I think they were shell-shocked at first because they weren’t used to that kind of start against them, and what can you do — they’re kids.” GV coach John Glavickas said.

The game was one-sided from the start, with LaBrae scoring on their first three possessions of the game and adding a fourth touchdown when Keevon Harris broke off a 95-yard touchdown run with 6:48 remaining in the second quarter to give the Vikings (9-2) a 28-0 lead.

GV (7-3) managed to get a touchdown right before halftime when Matt Moodt powered ahead for a two-yard score with 41.5 seconds remaining the first half to keep the Mustangs in the game, but LaBrae squashed any thoughts of GV mounting a comeback by stopping the Mustangs’ opening drive of the second half.

Harris then proceeded to take the Vikings’ first offensive play of the second half up the middle before bouncing outside, scampering 88 yards to the house to make it a 35-7 ballgame.

“Grand Valley has a bunch of tough-nosed, physical kids and I thought their quarterback was a special athlete, but we’ve shown the capability of dominating at times,” LaBrae coach John Armeni said. “So, I’m not surprised that our kids came out and played a wonderful game.”

LaBrae’s overall team speed gave the Mustangs fits, but it was Harris who proved to be too quick. The 6-foot-3 senior averaged 21.9 yards per carry, recorded four touchdowns, including three rushing and a 57-yard catch on the Vikings’ first play from scrimmage, and amassed 365 yards of total offense.

“When we saw him live, he’s a special player,” Glavickas said of Harris. “He’s a very special player, and I wish him the best in the future because we’re going to see him on Saturdays someplace.”

It was a tough result for the Mustangs, but Glavickas said it doesn’t take away from the year his team had. GV reclaimed the Northeastern Athletic Conference title after losing it in 2014, and the Mustangs ended the program’s 15-year playoff drought.

“It’s still very special,” Glavickas said. “We always tell the seniors when they come in as seniors that they have to leave the program better than what it was the year before. Last year we were 4-6 — we struggled to get 4-6. This year, they came out and they’re 7-2, so to be able to turn that around that way in the regular season, to beat Kirtland, to go to Mathews and beat them the way we did and then to make it into the playoffs — and not even just make the playoffs, we get a home game — I’m so proud of those kids.”