High School Sports

Garfield shut out by Perry

PERRY -- Once the playoffs roll around, Division V, Region 17, is arguably one of the toughest regions in the state.

Entering the game unbeaten, Garfield suffered its first loss of the season on Friday, falling 45-0 to the Perry Pirates in a Region 17 showdown.

The G-Men finish the season with an 11-1 mark, with the playoff loss being the lone blemish on what was another successful campaign for the program.

"It didn’t end the way we wanted it to end. We lost to a really good football team," Garfield coach Mike Moser said. "You can’t let that take away from everything that we accomplished during the year. These seniors have had a heck of a ride and they won a lot of football games. Ultimately, it ends this way for everybody but one. It doesn’t make it easier tonight, but that’s because these guys care.

"We celebrated together a lot of times, and tonight we’re hurt together, but credit goes to Perry. That’s a heck of a football team."

Before 10 seconds had come off the clock, Perry had already got on the scoreboard. Chase Sivon returned the opening kickoff 88 yards to give the Pirates an early edge.

They’d quickly strike again after a Garfield three-and-out, with a surgical drive that culminated in a 9-yard run by Carter Hopkins. The lead continued to grow for the Pirates with a 36-yard run from Traxton Richards near the end of the first quarter and a 19-yard pass from Nate Trefzger to Brody Krantz at the beginning of the second.

Colton Crissinger tacked on a 20-yard field goal to put Perry up 31-0 before the halfway point of the second quarter.

Hopkins earned his second touchdown of the night on a 10-yard rush to conclude the first half.

The Pirates scored once more in the second half to further extend its lead.

Going into Friday’s game, the G-Men offense scored less than 37 points just once, in a 21-13 win over Brookfield. It was smothered by Perry’s defense.

"I told my offensive line coach this might have been the best defense we’ve gone against in my 14 years as head coach," Moser said. "The speed, the secondary, the guys up (front), they got it all. They whooped us at every phase. There was no place to go find yards against those guys."

It was a season of "next man up" mentality for the G-Men. Losing Devin Bates early in the year and Sam Strahan toward the end were two big losses, but Garfield found ways to keep rolling.

"We lost some valuable guys. ... We lost a lot of guys, and guys stepped in and we ran the table and won another league title and won a playoff game," Moser said. "Ultimately our goal was to get through this week and to keep playing, but like I said, we accomplished a lot, and it may not feel like it tonight, but when you look at it later, it will."

Garfield graduates 19 seniors, including lineup staples Collin McGranahan, Logan Sell, Bates, Mason Kurtzman and Caden Roman.

"They were great leaders," Moser said. "The backbone of our program. It’s going to hurt to lose those guys."