Grisham rushed for 53 yards vs. Gunter for the win at Bulldog Stadium…that would be Jason Grisham, 19 years ago, the last time Howe defeated Gunter at home prior to Friday night’s nail-biting 21-19 victory in front of a packed house in Howe. 19 years later, his son Tyler Grisham rushed for 33 yards and a touchdown in route to the win which would snap an 11-game winning streak for Gunter over the ‘Dogs which had gone back to a 1997 game in Gunter.
If there was still any lingering feelings of Howe being an underdog or a surprise team, that officially ended Friday night with the win over Gunter. The transformation to a front-runner mentality will require an entirely different attitude from the ‘Dogs. Some teams handle that transition well and others never can make the adjustment. If there is any indication that they will be able to handle it, a glimpse could be seen in the fourth quarter when Howe shutout Gunter and a punt and two turnover on downs to secure the win.
Gunter won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. Howe had to punt on their first possession. After a short punt, Gunter took the ball at their own 46 yard line. However, the Bulldogs forced a punt which turned into a key moment in the game. Gunter punter Cameron Hearn tried to field a bad snap that rolled back to him. While trying to field it, he went to a knee at the 17-yard line which killed the play and gave Howe the ball at that spot.
Grisham would score from 10 yards out 2:04 minutes later and give Howe the early 7-0 lead with 6:14 left in the first quarter.
Gunter would start their next possession at their own 40 yard line and would drive the length of the field and even set up a first and goal situation, but false start penalties would force them into a fourth and long and an attempt to throw it in the end zone. That’s when Nick Wilson intercepted his fifth pass of the season at the goal line and run it out to the Howe 13.
Staring in to a decent north wind, Wilson would have another short punt that gave Gunter the ball at the Howe 34. Two plays later, the Tigers’ freshman playmaker Dylan Jantz would score on a slot reverse on a 34-yarder to tie the game, 7-7 with :54 left in the first quarter.
Howe had to punt again on their next possession where Gunter took over at their own 47 yard line. Three minutes later, Howe forced the Tigers in to a 4th and 7. Instead of attempting a 50-yard field goal with their big-legged kick Hearn, Gunter went for it and came up empty when quarterback Trey Carr overthrew his receiver which gave Howe the ball at the Bulldog 32 yard line. Jaden Matthews wasted no time by going the distance on a 68-yard score on the first carry of the drive. Howe regained the lead, 14-7 with 7:04 left in the second quarter.
Gunter’s next possession would start at their own 37 yard line. After another 4-minute drive, Howe would force another turnover on downs and would take the ball at their own 33 yard line. Gunter’s defense was impressive and forced another Howe punt. Gunter would start their last possession of the first half at their own 32 yard line, but would run out of time and Howe took a 14-7 lead into the half.
Gunter would start the third quarter with the ball at their own 42 yard line and were forced to punt. A roughing the kicker penalty on Howe would give Gunter new life, but again, Howe would hold and force another turnover on downs for the third time after Tanner Hartsfield would make a stop on 4th and 4. Howe would take the ball at their own 33 yard line, but a Stratton Carroll fumble would give Gunter great field possession at the Bulldog 33. Moments later, Jantz would score for the second time, this one on a 15-yarder. Gunter would try to take the lead with a two-point conversion attempt, but Ty Portman would bat down the pass and Howe maintained the lead, 14-13. Perhaps, this is the moment Howe transformed to front-runners.
Howe’s next possession resulted in a 62-yard touchdown by Matthews when Howe was facing a 2nd down and 21. The ‘Dogs extended their lead to 21-13 after Brice Honaker’s third successful PAT.
Gunter would start at their own 40 yard line with 3:19 left in the third quarter. Two minutes later, Carr would carry it over from the 15 yard line. Howe denied the 2-point conversion and clung to a 21-19 lead with 1:20 left in the third.
The fourth quarter was a defensive battle with Howe punting twice, Gunter punting once. Another possible front-runner transition moment came with 5:50 left when Bulldogs Head Coach Zack Hudson (aka the Riverboat Gambler) went for it on 4th and 2 and called Grisham’s number, who got just enough to keep the drive alive and Hudson came up with aces once again. That kept the ball out of Gunter’s hands for three more minutes before punting and pinning Gunter deep at their own 15 yard line.
The game fell in the hands of the Bulldog defense to turn back Gunter with only 3:04 left in the game. With Jantz out of the game due to injury, Gunter laid all of their hopes on the back of their quarterback Carr. Howe linebacker Jacob Taylor would sack Carr on a blitz and force Gunter to take a timeout from their own 19 yard line with 2:28 left. After the timeout, Carr would have to fall on the ball after a bad shotgun snap and that forced a 3rd and 25 with the clock rolling under two minutes. Carr’s third down pass fell incomplete. Wilson nearly picked off Carr’s fourth down heave to seemingly secure the win.
Howe’s last possession was all about killing the clock, however, Gunter would get one chance to win the game with four second remaining. Carr would complete the pass, but the ‘Dogs defense stopped the receiver at midfield and the front-runner transformation had completely taken place.
Matthews led the ‘Dogs with 149 yards on 8 carries and 2 touchdowns. Grisham added 33 yards on 11 carries and one TD. Others were Carroll (8-23), Brandon Wall (4-28), Brent Masters (6-18) and Cooper Akins (1-3).
Howe will travel to Tom Bean next Friday seeking 6-1 and 2-0.
