To start the season, Grand Meadow football’s schedule wasn’t easy. Week one they played at Mountain Lake, the defending state 9-man champions. Week two, they hosted South-East rival Spring Grove. Week three, they played at L-O, a rival who handed the Larks one of their two losses last season. GM ran that gauntlet. Their reward in week four? Southland emerged as undefeated. The #3 in 9-Man Larks (3-0) hosted the #5 Rebels (3-0) in a Saturday afternoon matinee. GM got spurred with their first offensive play. After stopping Southland’s first solid drive with an interception, Dusty Copley took the Larks’ first carry 90 yards to the house. With conversion, GM led 8-0. It was Copley’s third TD on the first play of a series this year. In the second quarter, the Larks expanded their lead. Keyed by a 28-yard pass from Evan Oehlke to Daniel Smith, GM went 64 yards in seven plays. Taylor Glynn’s 12-yard TD run (plus PAT) made it 15-0. But Southland then scored twice late in the quarter. They went 65 yards in 9 plays, getting a Nick Boe 5-yard TD run (plus conversion) to narrow the gap to 15-8. The Rebels then got an interception, and converted it into an Ethan Forthun 27-yard field goal. Southland crept to down 15-11 at intermission. The scoreboard then wouldn’t change until early in the fourth. An Oehlke to Copley 7-yard TD pass and catch (plus PAT) made it a two-possession game at 22-11. GM’s defense pitched a second half shut-out, retrieving three interceptions in the contest. Glynn and Cameron Sneed had snipes in the fourth quarter. Team Super stayed unbeaten by a 22-11 final! Copley (13-123, TD rushing, 3-25 receiving), Smith (11-52 rushing, 28-yard reception), and Oehlke (5-16, 56 yards, TD, INT passing, 8-20 rushing) did work for the Larks. Gary Sloan’s group won the turnover battle 4-2. They are now plus-10 turnovers this year (13 to 3). Southland ran more plays (64 to 51) but got less total offense (238 yards to 260). GM was 2 of 4 in the red zone, Southland 2 of 3. In week five, GM (3-0, 4-0) will play at Houston (2-2) in a re-match of last year’s 9-Man Section 1 final.
GM Wins Battle of Ranked Undefeateds
