The Shelbyville Rams hosted the El Paso-Gridley Titans Friday night, but the Titans’ offense and special teams proved too much to handle as El Paso-Gridley picked up a 54-13 victory.
El Paso-Gridley got on the board first when Adams found the end zone with 8:22 remaining in the opening quarter. The extra point was good, giving the Titans a 7-0 lead.
Shelbyville answered later in the quarter when Jaden Meister powered through traffic for a touchdown. The two-point conversion was unsuccessful, leaving the Rams within one at 7-6.
The Titans responded quickly as Elliot T. returned the kickoff for a touchdown. The extra point was good, putting El Paso-Gridley ahead 14-6 after one quarter.
The Titans continued to build their lead in the second quarter. With Shelbyville threatening in the red zone, an El Paso-Gridley defender intercepted a pass and returned it all the way for a touchdown. The successful kick made it 21-6.
With 2:16 remaining before halftime, EPG’s No. 4 hauled in a pass and took it into the end zone for another touchdown. Elliot’s kick was good, giving the Titans a 28-6 halftime advantage.
El Paso-Gridley continued to control the game after halftime.
At the 9:00 mark of the third quarter, No. 7 caught a pass and raced into the end zone for another Titans touchdown. Elliot added the extra point to make it 35-6.
The Titans added another passing touchdown with 4:45 left in the third, extending their advantage to 42-6.
Shelbyville’s defense did create a big play of its own as Murphy intercepted an EPG pass, but the Rams continued to face a significant deficit heading into the fourth quarter.
Shelbyville found the end zone early in the fourth when Jaden Meister scored with 8:46 remaining. The extra point was good, making it 42-13.
El Paso-Gridley answered just seconds later when No. 10, Kothy, returned the kickoff for a touchdown. The conversion was unsuccessful, making it 48-13.
The Titans added one final rushing touchdown with 5:03 remaining when No. 17 found the end zone. The conversion failed, and with the running clock in effect, El Paso-Gridley closed out the 54-13 victory.
Shelbyville will look to regroup and get back on track as the regular season continues, while El Paso-Gridley will carry the momentum from a strong all-around performance into its next matchup.