For the third time in four years, the Garfield G-Men’s football team will finish the regular season with a league title. The G-Men outlasted Mahoning Valley Conference Grey Tier foe Brookfield 21-13 to snag the league title outright in their regular season finale last Friday evening at Alumni Stadium in Trumbull County.
“I give Brookfield all the credit in the world,” said Coach Mike Moser. “That is a good football team and we knew that going in We weren’t surprised by what we got, we knew we were going to get their absolute best, and they played well and our kids did a great job of hanging in there.”
The G-Men (10-0, 7-0) finished the season with a perfect record, marking the third time in the last six seasons that Garfield went undefeated in the regular season. Garfield made its final appearance as a member of the MVAC Grey Tier, securing its fourth league title in six years. In those six years as members of the MVAC Grey Tier, Garfield amassed a 39-2 record, as the current seniors only lost one league game in their four years with the program.
Garfield’s final regular season victory earned it a top four seed in the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division V Region 17 postseason, securing a first-round bye. The G-Men will take the field again in the postseason quarterfinal and host either Conneaut or Chagrin Falls at JAG Stadium on Nov. 6 at 7 p.m.
“We can go back and pinpoint some things we want to correct here over the next couple of days, but it is nice,” added the 14-year coach. “When you are going for what we are going for, the pressure every week, it can mount on you a little bit, it is going to be nice to take a breath.”
On Friday, Garfield dueled the Warriors until the final possession. Although the G-Men averaged 47.0 points through its first nine games, Brookfield’s defense stifled the Garfield offense, with the G-Men holding a slim 7-0 lead at the half.
Moser acknowledged that Garfield squandered several scoring opportunities in the first half, but credited Brookfield’s defense for being stout.
“They had a nice plan and executed it and made us work for everything but at the end of the day, we had some kids getting banged up and we were shuffling the line-up,” he noted. “Guys were playing in some unfamiliar spots but credit the kids for finding a way to get it done.”
Junior tailback/linebacker Ryder Cain, who scored a touchdown in the first half, struck again in the third quarter, when he scored on a 53-yard touchdown run, pushing the G-Men ahead 14-0.
Moser said that Garfield had several chances to score another touchdown and deliver the final dagger, but Brookfield’s defense stiffened, keeping the Warriors within striking distance.
The Warriors trimmed the lead to 14-7 on a touchdown and Garfield needed to respond.
The G-Men’s offense needed support as several key rushers had been ruled out of the game with injuries, but senior wide receiver/tailback/defensive back Nate Baczkowski broke loose for a 46-yard touchdown run near the end of the fourth quarter, stretching the lead to 21-7.
“It was a physical night on both sides,” added Moser. “The hitting was intense and I don’t know if we came out a little worse for the wear of it or but there was a lot of good hitting. And again, you expect that stuff in a week 10 game.”
Baczkowski finished the game rushing for 80 yards and one touchdown on eight carries.
The Warriors countered with a touchdown but still trailed 21-13 after Garfield blocked the extra point and the G-Men recovered an onside kick. Although Garfield’s running back corps was depleted, it recorded a decisive first down to run as the clock ran out and emerged victorious.
“That is impressive and for those seniors, you feel great, what a hard-working group of kids that bought in 100% to our program and our culture and they deserve it,” he said.
With Garfield having played its final game as a member of the MVAC Grey Tier, the seniors will finish their high school careers with a 27-1 league record. According to Moser, the G-Men have created fond memories playing in the MVAC Grey Tier and will leave the conference as a stronger program than it was when it joined the league in 2021.
Garfield’s next league game will occur when it is a full-fledged member of the newly-formed Greater Portage Athletic Conference in the 2027 season.
