ANDREW SALMI [email protected]
JARRELL — The Granger Lions concluded the regular season on a high note as they blew out rival Bartlett High School 54-26 at neutral site Jarrell.
The Lions got the scoring started in the first quarter with a 31-yard field goal by junior Jose Valverde and a 47-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Chase Edwards to junior running back Jett Jolly, giving Granger a 10-0 lead after the first quarter.
After Bartlett answered with a touchdown and two-point conversion early in the second quarter, the Lions’ offense erupted with multiple big plays. Senior wide receiver Lucas Matt hauled in two long touchdown passes from Edwards from 67 and 62 yards, and Jolly scored late in the second quarter on a nine-yard pass as Granger was up big 31-8 at halftime.
With the Bulldogs opening the third quarter with a score, the Lions quickly put any slim hope Bartlett had of a comeback out of reach.
Senior wide receiver Isaac Lizardo caught a 31-yard touchdown pass from Edwards, senior running back Jayven Diaz scored on the ground from 14 yards out, and Valverde kicked a long 47-yard field goal to extend the Granger lead to 47-14 at the end of the third quarter.
The Lions got one more score on the night in the fourth quarter as sophomore Dayton Knippa returned a kickoff 72 yards for a touchdown to give Granger its final points of the night against a Bartlett team that finished winless.
The Lions finished the 2023 regular season with an 8-2 overall record and a 4-1 mark in 2A-2 District 13 play. Granger is set to play Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. in the 2A-2 bi-district playoffs against the Burton High School Panthers at a neutral site still to be determined.
