After taking a few steps backwards in week seven despite beating Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference Grey Tier rival Liberty, the Garfield G-Men course-corrected their trajectory. The G-Men remained undefeated in Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference Grey Tier play by dominating conference foe Newton Falls 40-0 last Friday evening at JAG Stadium in Garrettsville.
“I think we had a good week again, got better again and got back to the basics,” said Coach Mike Moser. “The kids played well on Friday. When you are starting off the year you are hoping to give yourself these chances and we have.”
The G-Men’s (7-1, 5-0) week eight victory will send them on a collision course against conference foe Crestview, who is also undefeated in conference play, at Crestview Football Field in Columbiana on Friday at 7 p.m. The winner of the week nine game will take control of the MVAC Grey Tier. If Garfield wins, it puts them in prime position to collect its second consecutive MVAC Grey Tier banner with only one game remaining on the regular season schedule before the playoffs start.
“It is a good program,” said the 12th-year coach. “They are well-coached and have tough kids so we have nothing but respect for Crestview and the job that they are doing there so it’s a very good opponent we are looking at.”
Since joining the MVAC Grey Tier in 2021, Garfield has had its way with Newton Falls, averaging 46.0 point per game in their first three contests. The G-Men’s offensive dominance continued with its shutout victory against Newton Falls on Friday evening.
“Their numbers are down a little bit and they are kind of up against it a little bit over there but I am sure they will get better,” noted Moser.
It was another fast start for Garfield, who outscored the Tigers 28-0 in the first quarter, engineering scoring drives in all four of their possessions.
Garfield’s big night started with another big play by junior tailback/wide receiver/defensive back Brandyn Bogucki, who scored on 68-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage, putting the G-Men ahead 7-0.
Newton Falls tried countering with its rushing attack, but Garfield defenders swarmed to the ball, forcing several short possessions.
“I think we were pretty physical and flew to the ball and got them behind the sticks and that is the key to playing good defense,” Moser said.
The G-Men’s ground game was once again unstoppable, with sophomore running back/defensive back Devin Bates scoring on a 22-yard run, followed by a 61-yard touchdown scamper by freshman tailback/defensive back Ryder Cain and a 50-yard touchdown run by the 6-foot Bates, fueling the G-Men to a commanding 28-0 advantage at the end of the first quarter.
“Guys up front did a nice job and the other backs did a nice job with lane blocking and for the most part the guys did not have to do anything extraordinary,” Moser said. “They were not breaking a lot of tackles, so it was well-executed play.”
Garfield continued putting pressure on the Tigers in the second half, with senior tailback/linebacker Harper Troyer adding an 11-yard touchdown run and sophomore Camron Lewicki scoring on a one-yard run, increasing the G-Men’s lead to 40-0.
The G-Men’s defense continued dominating the Tigers in the second half, leading to Garfield’s second shutout victory in its last four games. During that span, the G-Men have only surrendered 20 points.
“The kids are playing well and you have momentum but momentum is only as good as the next play so we will take all of that and we will see where it takes us on Friday,” Moser said.
In addition to collecting another MVAC Grey Tier victory, it may be the final home game for the G-Men of the season. Should the G-Men qualify for the playoffs, it is unclear if Garfield will receive home advantage for at least the first round.
Moser said his team understood the significance of possibly playing in their last home contest of the season.
“We made sure the kids recognized that,” he added. “We are not guaranteed to come out of those doors anymore after Friday night, so it is always an emotional night for the seniors, but they did a good job at putting it in the back of their minds and getting to work once the whistle blew.”
