Gratz holds off Central, 19-6
Survival is the key in the playoffs. So perhaps it doesn't matter what a victory looks like as long as it's eventually secured.
Survival is the key in the playoffs.
So perhaps it doesn't matter what a victory looks like as long as it's eventually secured.
Just don't tell that to Luke White or Simon Gratz.
The top-seeded Bulldogs outlasted shorthanded Central, 19-6, at home Friday night in a Public League Class AAAA semifinal.
"I'm glad we won, but it wasn't a good win, so I'm not happy about it," said White, a senior running back. "We worked hard in practice and we should have played harder than this."
White finished with 138 rushing yards and a TD on 15 carries.
Both teams played hard, but the game itself was fraught with penalties, turnovers and miscues.
Gratz was flagged 12 times for 121 yards. The Bulldogs (8-3, 7-0) also fumbled six times and were fortunate to only lose three.
Central (6-5, 5-2) played scrappy football but was mostly without its starting quarterback, Jeff Coplin, who went down with a leg injury in the first quarter.
The injury came after Gratz sprinted to an early 13-0 lead. The Bulldogs needed just three plays from scrimmage to score both touchdowns.
White started the scoring with a 28-yard touchdown after Gratz recovered the opening squib kick.
On the first play of the next possession, Amir Gillis hit Javon Whitfield for a 57-yard score.
"We had the momentum," White said. "It started with the kickoff. We just should have kept that momentum up."
Instead, Central backup quarterback Gerrit Roscioli and wide receiver Collin Washington connected on a 13-score after Nasir Womack recovered a Gratz fumble.
"There were just too many mistakes," White said. "I don't know how we had that many mistakes because we were running all week in practice for mistakes. We'll be back running Monday and Tuesday."
The Lancers, fresh off an upset of defending Public League champ Ben Franklin, had their share of mishandles.
Central finished with four fumbles, but only lost one. The Lancers were also penalized five times for 45 yards.
Roscioli finished 13 or 31 for 155 yards. Washington had six catches for 71 yards.
Eventually, a 62-yard third-quarter punt return by Dedrick Parson gave Gratz a second chance at momentum.
The drive resulted in a Gillis 4-yard keeper for an insurance score.
The Gratz defense, which finished with six sacks and two interceptions, did the rest.
"At halftime we talked as a team and said its win or go home. And we weren't ready to go home."
Central 6 0 0 0 - 6
Central 13 0 6 0 - 19
G: Luke White 28 run (Amir Gillis kick)
G: Javon Whitfield 57 pass from Gillis (run failed)
C: Collin Washington 13 pass from Gerrit Roscioli (kick blocked)
G: Gillis 4 run (kick failed)
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