Highlanders put end to Giles 33-game regular season win streak
Giles (14) vs. Glenvar (16)
Written: Oct 10, 2015
Staff reports
GLENVAR — For the second in a row Glenvar has ended a significant streak held by Giles.
Jacob Mullins kicked a 26-yard field goal with 1:21 left in the game as the Highlanders rallied from a fourth quarter deficit to defeat Giles, 16-14, Saturday night at Glenvar.
The victory snapped Giles' 33-game regular season winning streak just one year after the Highlanders earned their first ever win over the Spartans with a 35-0 blowout in the 2A West quarterfinals.
Mullins' game-winning kick was set up by a 24-yard pass completion from quarterback Zack Clifford to Remington Stanley to the Giles' 9. Three plays later Mullins, a junior, was called on despite not having a good week in practice with his kicking.
“I've been struggling all week kicking field goals. I couldn't hit the broad side of the barn,” Mullins said.
The struggles were so bad that Mullins did extra kicking after practice on Friday to straighten things out, which apparently worked.
“I was so excited. I didn't want to let the team down,” Mullins said.
Ironically, Mullins' heroics were necessary after Glenvar decided to go for two instead of kicking an extra point after scoring a touchdown at the 4:33 mark of the fourth quarter to make the score 14-13. Clifford's pass attempt on the two-point conversation was intercepted by Giles' Brian Mann to keep the Spartans in the lead for the time being.
Rain throughout the day made the field both muddy and slippery and Glenvar head coach Kevin Clifford said that field conditions were a factor in his decision to go for two, but it wasn't the only reason.
“We we're struggling with PATs in the pregame, but I would rather lose going for it than lose going for the tie,” Clifford said.
Glenvar got to within one point on a 15-play drive that took over half of the fourth quarter to complete. Running back Darryl Manns capped the possession with his second TD run of the evening from one yard out to make the score 14-13.
Giles (5-1, 0-1) looked to have gained control of the contest just before the halftime break when running back Anthony Meadows snuck into the end zone on a fourth-and-goal from the one on the final play of the half to make the score 14-7.
“Anytime you go up on somebody like that you're pleased,” Giles head coach Jeff Williams said. “We just didn't get the job done.”
The Spartans opened the scoring in the first quarter when Mann hit Patrick Beidleman on a 57-yard touchdown pass with 6:25 left in the period to make it 7-0.
Glenvar (6-0, 1-0) responded in the second period as Manns scored his first touchdown of the night on a one-yard run with 5:29 left before the half to tie things up at 7-7.
The second straight win over Giles was a monumental moment for the Glenvar program, according to the Highlanders' head coach.
“When I got here my goal was to be Giles-est and I think we've done that. They have been the measuring stick in this district for 25 years,” Clifford said. “I guess since we've won two we can call it a rivalry now.”
Giles.....................................7 7 0 0 — 14
Glenvar.................................0 7 0 9 — 16
Gi - P. Beidleman 53 pass from Mann (Riley kick)
Gl - Manns 1 run (Mullins kick)
Gi - Meadows 1 run (Riley kick)
Gl - Manns 1 run (pass failed)
Gl - Mullins 26 FG
Giles Glenvar
First Downs 10 15
Yards Rushing 94 65
Passes C-A-I 3-9-0 8-16-0
Yards Passing 86 173
Penalties-Yards 8-75 4-45
Fumbles-lost 0-0 1-1
Punts-average 6-35 3-35
Individual Statistics
RUSHING - Giles, Mann 24-55, P. Beidleman 6-26, Chapman 7-9 Meadows 2-4, Glenvar, Manns 26-76, Mullins 4-11, Clifford 7-(-22).
PASSING - Giles, Mann 3-9-0-86, Glenvar, Clifford 8-16-0-173.
RECEIVING - Giles, P. Beidleman 2-70, Kirk 1-16, Glenvar, Stanley 4-130, Humphreys 3-31, Walters 1-12.
|