Warren JFK takes control in second half to defeat GV

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

ORWELL — When Matt Rosati put together the game plan for Grand Valley’s Thursday night matchup against Warren JFK, the coach knew mistakes was something his football team had to minimize.

For the first half, the Mustangs did a good job. The second half, though, was a different story.

GV fumbled away the second half kickoff, then one possession later, had a botched punt attempt.

Both miscues led directly to touchdowns and helped the Eagles run away with a 42-14 victory at The Reel Family Stadium.

GV (3-2) drew to within 21-14 heading into halftime.

But those two mistakes were something Rosati knew his team could not afford if they hoped to compete for four quarters.

“We had to play mistake free football in order to compete with these guys,” the coach said. “I thought we had a pretty good game plan against them. We knew they had a major size advantage, so we tried to spread them out, and I thought we did a pretty good job in the first half, but they just wore us down and that was our biggest fear.”

The Mustangs could not have started the game much better.

Carter Turk picked off JFK quarterback Al Howard on the third play of the game.

Then, on the Mustangs first offensive play, Caden Rowland got loose around the right end and raced 51 yards for a score.

But, the Eagles responded by using their size and strength.

Behind an offensive line that had a size advantage against GV, JFK marched 80 yards on 21 plays in more than nine minutes to tie the game on a 12-yard run by Howard.

The Eagles added another touchdown drive in the second quarter.

After the first of two botched punt attempts, Howard hooked up with Lucas Mealy on a 30-yard touchdown pass to make it 21-7.

GV answered with a 50-yard run from Rowland to set up a 6-yard touchdown pass from Turk to cut the deficity to 21-14.

But in the second half, JFK not only took advantage of both Mustangs mistakes, but shut down Rowland. The Eagles allowed him just five rushing yards, after he had 110 in the first half.

Turk completed 9 of 24 passes for 83 yards and was intercepted late in the game.

Offensively for the Eagles, Howard and running back Nick Brianca combined for more than 300 rushing yards.

Rosati said he knows his team has to get more physical, but realizes it’s a process.

“We have to take a step back and look at it, but we had eight sophomores and two freshmen on the field,” he said. “We just need some more experience and we need to get bigger and stronger and we will. We competed, but it just got away from us.”

After a 3-0 start to the season, the Mustangs have now dropped their last two games, including a 33-21 loss to University School Sept. 10.

Rosati said, though, this was the kind of competition he wants his team to measure themselves against.

“This is real football here,” the coach said. “Playing University School, playing JFK, this is legitimate football and we see what we have to do. We can compete, can we compete for four quarters against a good football team, that becomes the issue we have to work on. We’re playing real football and I’m proud of our kids for that.”

GV starts Northeastern Athletic Conference play against Saint John Saturday, Sept. 26 at Lakeside Stadium.

The Heralds are 3-1, with three straight wins, entering Saturday's afternoon game at Lakeside.

“We’re excited for the next five games,” Rosati said. “We understand what we need to do and we have a grudge with Saint John and we’re looking forward to that football game. We just need to regroup, get healthy and get back at it.”

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos