Matt Grothe going to state semifinals

[Guest USF Bill]

DAVID MILLS/The Ledger Lake Gibson quarterback Matt Grothe is tackled by East Ridge defender Adam Crowe during the first half Friday night in Clermont. The Braves won, 26-20, in a Class 4A Region final.

 

Published Saturday, November 27, 2004

Braves Jump Out Early, Then Hold

Interceptions save the day as East Ridge tries to rally.

By **** Scanlon

The Ledger

****.scanlon@theledger.com

CLERMONT -- Interceptions by Chris Duvalt, Matt Grothe and Shawn Waters helped Lake Gibson hold off Clermont East Ridge after the Braves had built a 23-0 halftime lead Friday night.

Their 26-20 victory in the regional final sent the Braves (121) into a Class 4A state semifinal at Pensacola. Pensacola reached the semifinal round with a 21-10 victory over Fort Walton Beach.

Grothe, playing with a case of the flu, led Lake Gibson to the big halftime lead, running 27 yards to the Braves' first touchdown and then hooking up with Roger Frazier on two touchdown passes.

Jacob Bloodworth added a 37-yard field goal to finish a first half in which almost everything went right for Lake Gibson.

The second half was a different story. The Braves had to hold on after East Ridge quarterback Stephen Batman got his passing game going.

The Knights (11-1) had two chances to overtake Lake Gibson's lead in the fourth quarter. But Grothe, who plays safety only in rare circumstances, intercepted Jackson at the Lake Gibson 21-yard line with 6:10 left. And after a couple of bizarre pass-interference calls moved East Ridge into Lake Gibson territory again, Waters clinched it with an interception with 1:24 remaining.

Duvalt's 67-yard kickoff return had set up the Braves' only second-half score, which came on Bloodworth's 20-yard field goal with 8:48 left.

"Obviously I'm a little disappointed in the second half, but we did what we had to do," said Lake Gibson coach Keith DeMyer. "Tonight we had to make some big plays on defense, and we did that."

Lake Gibson was penalized 17 times for 201 yards, including six penalties in the final 61/2 minutes that kept East Ridge in it.

The Braves operated like a machine in the first half before a crowd of about 4,500. On a thirdand-18, backed up to their own 4, Isaac Harris broke up the middle on a determined run for a first down.

The Braves converted another third-and-long on the same drive when Grothe threw deep for Frazier, drawing an interference call.

Grothe then threw 16 yards to Barry Joyner and dashed up the sideline for the final 27 yards himself.

Frazier caught a 14-yard TD pass early in the second quarter for a 14-0 Lake Gibson lead.

Then after a couple of punts, Frazier got behind the East Ridge secondary for a 59-yard bomb from Grothe, and Lake Gibson led, 20-0.

A fumbled punt, the Braves' only turnover, started turning the game in East Ridge's favor early in the second half.

Batman and Richard Jackson became a passing combination the Braves couldn't stop. But the interceptions finally did.

"We kind of got ourselves in a spot there where we had to do something defensively," DeMyer said.

[Velcro]

Grothe plays safety too?  wow

[Bull Matrix]

Grothe can do it all. I remember watching him kick field goals earlier this season. This kid is going to be fun to watch. I am impressed that he played through that flu and won the game. He is going to tough as nails while at USF.

[ChiTownBull]

he has to be light yrs ahead of pat

can pat catch the ball? if so convert him to a wr next season

[Apis Bull]

Hope he can keep it up in college.

[Ricky the Bull]

17 penalties for 201 yards?

I guess he'll feel right at home next season.    :-/

[bulls96go]

we better be in this kids ear all the way to signing day

[Ricky the Bull]

Matt's a solid commitment and player.

[EsteroBull]

The QB's next season with be Grothe and the Auburn transfer. Julmiste will transfer to a 1-AA team like Kraky and not even start.

[E.T.]

Grothe will win the starting job before we beat Penn St. and Julmiste will still be at QB ... hopefully Gachette steps up also.

Go BULLS !!!