Football team gets No. 2 playoff seed, despite 41-13 loss to Beaver
by Jeff Richards
contributing writer
Oct 18, 2012 | 363 views | 0 0 comments | 4 4 recommendations | email to a friend | print
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Red Devil quarterback Jacob Francis (13) scores a touchdown late in the third period of Grand’s 41-13 loss to Beaver on Oct. 12. Photo by Jeff Richards
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Although the Grand County High School football team lost their final regular-season game to Beaver at Moab on Friday, Oct. 12, the Red Devils still managed to secure the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the 2A playoffs.

Thanks to a coin flip that broke a three-way tie among Grand, Beaver, and Richfield (see related story on page B4), Grand will next play at home on Saturday, Oct. 27 against the winner of this week’s play-in game between Millard and South Sevier.

At Friday’s contest against Beaver, the Red Devils allowed four first-half touchdowns as the Beavers posted a 28-0 halftime lead. Grand managed to score two touchdowns in the second half, but Beaver kept rolling, eventually racking up 41 points for the 41-13 victory.

“We didn’t play very well on Friday,” said GCHS head coach Dennis Wells earlier this week. “Give Beaver credit because they are a good team, but I thought we made them look a lot better than they were.”

The Beavers racked up 438 yards of total offense during the contest while holding the Red Devils to less than half that amount, 210 yards.

“We had breakdowns in the secondary, giving them easy receptions,” Wells said. “It came down to discipline and counting on your teammates to do the job. We didn’t take care of the quarterback on the option or outside contain on the sweeps.”

Beaver scored its first touchdown on a 20-yard pass late in the first period, then added three more TDs during the second period.

Grand didn’t get on the scoreboard until about four minutes left in the third period, when quarterback Jacob Francis made a 5-yard touchdown run to make the score 28-6. Francis, who’d missed the previous week’s game due to a shoulder injury, also sat out the first part of the Beaver contest but entered the game late in the second period.

Koi Cook, who started and finished the game at quarterback for Grand, ended up with a team-high 75 yards rushing on 17 carries. Cook also completed two of three passes for 12 yards. Cameron Taylor rushed for 42 yards on 10 carries for Grand, while Francis totaled 35 yards on 11 carries. Francis also added 46 yards on a 5-of-13 passing record for the night.

Grand’s last score of the game came in the final minute, when Cook connected with receiver Preston Walston for a 9-yard touchdown pass. Francis kicked the extra point.

The Red Devils’ next game will be in the 2A quarterfinals on Saturday, Oct. 27 at Moab. The game time and opponent have not yet been determined.
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