BY NOAH GRIFFITH
FOR THE OBSERVER
SMITHS STATION — A week after earning a weather-shortened win at Lee-Scott Academy, rain could only delay the inevitable for the Glenwood Gators (2-0) in a 49-19 victory over the Brookstone Cougars (0-3) on Friday, Aug. 28.
After weather pushed the opening kickoff back 45 minutes, Zayden Hart took the ensuing kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown, and Glenwood never looked back. Senior Nate Malone followed with four runs of 20-plus yards, including an 80-yard touchdown, as the Gators took a commanding 21-0 lead in the first quarter.
“[Brookstone] was in a state championship game in the GIAA last year, and we came out and played well against them,” said head coach Ryan Nelson. “Our kids played hard; we got off to a fast start like I wanted to. We have a lot of stuff to clean up, but it’s still like game one for us. Anytime you win, you can’t discredit that.”
Both offenses moved the ball effectively, with Glenwood picking up 16 first downs to Brookstone’s 13. However, the Gators found the end zone on explosive plays while the Cougars struggled to finish drives once they reached the red zone.
Glenwood senior quarterback Trey Claridy went 5-for-13 passing without a turnover, doing most of his damage with his legs. Malone found the end zone three times on the ground, while Claridy finished the win with the final two TDAs of the night. His 8-yard scamper with 5:15 remaining put the game away.
Brookstone quarterback Broughton Branch and running back Dillon Terry drove the ball past midfield seven times, but three interceptions limited the Cougars’ scoring opportunities. Branch went 10-for-19 passing with a touchdown, while Terry scored all three of Brookstone’s touchdowns on a 2-yard run, a 55-yard reception and a 90-yard kickoff return.
Ultimately, Glenwood’s defense answered the bell whenever Brookstone drove into Gator territory. Junior Tyler Claridy kept the game at 21-6 heading into halftime with a clutch INT on a pass Branch threw near the goal line. Claridy later made an impressive leaping grab on a deep ball for his second INT of the night in the fourth quarter.
But perhaps the biggest momentum swing came on senior Asher Long’s pick-six in the third quarter. After Terry’s second score cut the deficit to 28-13, Brookstone got the ball back on a Glenwood turnover on downs. After driving to the Gator 31-yard line, Long tipped and intercepted a Branch pass and returned it 69 yards for a TD, putting Glenwood ahead 35-13.
“Our defense is steady,” Nelson said. “Through our first two ball games, we’ve had some moments where we’ve bent a little, but we haven’t broken. At the end of the day, I’m going to say our defense played really good.”
Penalties were the biggest thing keeping Glenwood’s offense from blowing the game open early. The Gators were called for six penalties in the first half, compared with two in the second half.
In a scoreless second quarter, two chunk gains were called back because of holding penalties on back-to-back plays. That negated the biggest passing play of the game, a deep ball to senior Braylon Greenwood, as well as a first-down run by Malone.
Nelson noted that it was the team’s first full game of the season, meaning those issues are still being ironed out through live repetition.
“We had a really bad second quarter from a penalty standpoint,” Nelson said. “We’ve got to get that stuff cleaned up, and that was a big thing at halftime. Once we did that in the second half, we played really well outside of giving up a few big plays.”
Next, Glenwood will hit the road again to face Houston Academy (0-1) in Dothan on Friday, Sept. 4. The Raiders will be Glenwood’s first region opponent as a member of AHSAA Class 2A Region 1.
Houston Academy fell to Dale County 42-7 in its season opener Thursday.
“[Next week] starts region play for us, so I know it’s going to be tough,” Nelson said. “We have a lot of room to grow, but we have to keep on growing quickly.”
