Anderson County scored 26 unanswered points in the third quarter to hand Grayson County a 33–7 loss Friday night in the Cougars’ home opener.
Grayson County (1–1) struck first when junior running back Kadin Hanshaw scored on a 14-yard run early in the second quarter, but Anderson County answered with an 8-yard touchdown run by Henry Cooper to tie the game at 7–7 at halftime.
The Cougars’ momentum was dealt a blow when Hanshaw exited with an ankle injury midway through the second quarter.
Trailing 14–7 in the third, Grayson County appeared to have a big gain through the air to set up a potential tying drive, but the play was called back for an illegal man downfield penalty. The Bearcats (1–1) capitalized, scoring on three straight possessions — a 48-yard run by Hudson DeGarmo, a blocked punt return by Eli McCann, and a 35-yard interception return by DeGarmo. Braxton Mackey added a 17-yard touchdown run late in the quarter to put the game away.
Hanshaw finished with 33 yards on 10 carries and the lone Cougar touchdown before leaving with an injury. Quarterback Jake Bratcher completed 10 of 16 passes for 57 yards with an interception, while sophomore Trigg Payne went 4 of 6 for 11 yards in relief. Kayden Tyner caught five passes for 25 yards, while Jamycen Buster added 22 rushing yards and 8 receiving yards.
Defensively, Kamden Cornwell led the Cougars with 10 tackles, while Ethan Mudd recorded three tackles for loss.
Head coach Bryan Jones said physicality was the difference in the game.
“We got out-physicalled. I mean they beat us up and I was pretty disappointed in the amount we fought. I don’t think we were very scrappy. They were very physical. We knew it going in that they were going to be big, strong, and physical and we’d have to match that physicality or it was going to be a rough night, and it was a rough night.”
Grayson County will return to action next week against McLean County.
K105 Sports
Scoring Summary
2nd Quarter
-
GC – Kadin Hanshaw 14-yard run (Beasley kick), 11:54
-
AC – Henry Cooper 8-yard run (Johnson kick), 7:16
3rd Quarter
-
AC – Hudson DeGarmo 48-yard run (Johnson kick), 5:01
-
AC – Eli McCann blocked punt return (Johnson kick), 3:08
-
AC – DeGarmo 35-yard interception return (kick failed), 1:24
-
AC – Braxton Mackey 17-yard run (conversion failed), 1:03
Box Score
Anderson County 33, Grayson County 7
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson County | 0 | 7 | 26 | 0 | 33 |
| Grayson County | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
