“I felt like we worked hard in practices and this is what we prepared for.” Lester Troyer
The Huskies amassed 344 rushing yards, throwing just one time against Garfield in the 34-14 Week 1 win.
Like clockwork, the opening night of high school football started with much fanfare. Like clockwork, the Cardinal Huskies battled their neighbor to the south, Garfield G-Men, on opening night.
JAG Stadium was at near capacity with a 50/50 jackpot worth over $500. The standing room-only crowd saw a virtual clinic of how to run the Wing-T.
The Huskies ran up 344 yards of total offense, all coming on 47 rushing attempts in their 34-14 victory and giving head coach Eric Cardinal victory number 80 in 15 seasons at Cardinal.
Of the seven lettermen lost due to graduation, the biggest question mark was who would fill the shoes of the 2013 All-Geauga County small school quarterback who is now at Alleghany College, Justin McClain? Sophomore Kyle Simms seemed to be the perfect answer in the end.
“I was a little nervous when we started, but after a couple plays it just started coming natural,” Simms said after the game.
Natural indeed, as Simms handed off the ball 42 times for 340 yards to seven different ball carriers. Simms even got in on the action by holding onto the ball five times for four yards.
Following an opening drive turnover by Garfield, the Huskies quickly capitalized; junior Nate Peters broke away for a 19-yard touchdown run. A Brendan Whitney 2-point conversion gave Cardinal an 8-0 lead less than two minutes in.
Less than three minutes later, the Huskies found themselves in the endzone again. This time Junior Lester Troyer Jr. sprinted in from 56-yards, giving Cardinal a 14-0 lead. Troyer Jr. wasn’t finished either; three minutes later, he scampered in from 21- yards out, and the extra point gave the Huskies a 21-0 lead with 3:28 remaining in the quarter.
The halfback was not surprised by the Huskies’ quick start.
“I felt like we worked hard in practices and this is what we prepared for,” he said. “I was a little nervous when we started, but I felt like this is what happens when you work hard.”
Troyer Jr. ended the night with 84 yards on just five carries and two touchdowns. As for the Huskies, they did not finish the first half on good terms, as the Garfield defense started switching formations and stunting, stalling the remaining drives for Cardinal.
The Garfield offense felt a sense of urgency as well, and was able to put together a rushing touchdown with eight minutes remaining in the half. Another passing touchdown with just 28 seconds in the half gave the Huskies just a 21-14 lead at the break.
Senior Clark Thurling added a touchdown run of 19 yards in the third quarter, giving Cardinal a 27-14 lead. Fellow senior Brant Zemelka’s only carry of the evening was when he sprinted in from 42-yards out late in the final stanza to give the Huskies their opening night victory.
Thurling finished the night with 64 yards on 17 carries and a TD, while fellow seniors KC Cress and Cody Purpora rushed 54 and 47 yards respectively.
Cardinal’s defense controlled the line of scrimmage, allowing just 83 yards on the ground and just five rushing first-downs. The Huskies held a distinct advantage in time of possession.
Cardinal hosts Pymatuning Valley this Friday; the Lakers were 26-7 winners last week over Newbury. The Huskies have defeated the Lakers in each of the previous two seasons by a combined score of 66-26.
For more photos of the game, visit http://smu.gs/1qb0QZ8.
