HIGHLAND FOOTBALL

Huskies win 2nd straight district game

Grinstead, rushes for 2 TDs, passes for 2 TDs in 33-13 victory over North Cedar

By Paul D. Bowker
Posted 9/19/21

RIVERSIDE

Highland’s offense cut through North Cedar’s defense with the precision of a surgeon’s knife in the early moments of last Friday’s second half.

Less than three …

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HIGHLAND FOOTBALL

Huskies win 2nd straight district game

Grinstead, rushes for 2 TDs, passes for 2 TDs in 33-13 victory over North Cedar

Posted

RIVERSIDE

Highland’s offense cut through North Cedar’s defense with the precision of a surgeon’s knife in the early moments of last Friday’s second half.

Less than three minutes into the third quarter, Highland senior quarterback Connor Grinstead danced into the end zone with his first touchdown of the night.

And just like that, the Huskies blasted toward an eventual 33-13 District A-5 win over North Cedar.

“Yeah, that was great,” Highland head coach Scott Morel said. “That was a great morale pick-up for us, to come down and score right away. That’s our goal.”

Escaping a 13-13 tie, the Huskies scored three touchdowns in the second half and shut out North Cedar for what really was a historic second consecutive district victory.

The Huskies (2-2 overall, 2-0 A-5) have won their first two district games for the first time since moving from Class 1A to Class A. After winning just once all of last year (against North Cedar), the Huskies have defeated district foes Columbus by 28 points and North Cedar by 20.

“It is a big deal. Especially with the playoff system this year, they’re only taking the top four teams,” Morel said. “Going into it, that (two wins) will help us out tremendously.”

Grinstead was a sophomore two years ago when the Huskies won two district games by a combined four points against the bottom of the district. This year, the Huskies hope to contend for a district title three years after they won eight games but still only two in district play. Grinstead, then a freshman backup, completed one pass that year and ran for just six yards all season.

“We got two really big wins, it feels good to put us in the driver’s seat, but we can’t be happy with what we’ve got,” said Grinstead, who passed for 108 yards and 2 touchdowns, and ran for 164 yards and 2 TDs. “We’ve got to look forward, we’ve got to keep going, keep compiling the wins.”

North Cedar went ahead 7-0 just 2:12 into Friday’s game when Tyler Jackson ran 26 yards for a touchdown. Jackson rushed for 94 yards and left Highland’s would-be tacklers behind him on a 51-yard touchdown jaunt on a punt return in the second quarter.

Between those touchdowns, Grinstead threw a 10-yard scoring pass to senior receiver Trevor McFarland and senior running back Brenton Bonebrake, returning from an injury the previous week against Wilton, rushed 18 yards for a touchdown.

Bonebrake rushed for a game-high 175 yards on 27 carries.

“He did a nice job,” Morel said of Bonebrake. “He was nicked up a little bit. He really ran strong, hard for us tonight.”

After Grinstead’s scoring run, and Jared Diaz’s extra-point kick, put the Huskies ahead 20-13, with 9:41 left in the third quarter, the Huskies scored twice more on a 43-yard scoring pass from Grinstead to Logan Bonebrake and a 1-yard keeper by Grinstead for his fourth touchdown of the season.

Meanwhile, as Morel shouted instructions at his defense from the sidelines, the Huskies shut down Jackson and the North Cedar offense. Jackson was held to 94 yards rushing. Highland forced four North Cedar turnovers, including three fumbles. Yahir Jimenez, Carson Netser and Kolton Miller each recovered fumbles, and Luke Miller had an interception.

“For the most part, the guys really did execute the game plan to perfection,” Morel said.

 

Highland, football