ON A 39-YARD RUN EARLY IN THE FOURTH QUARTER.
GREENWOOD TAKES 5-1 RECORD INTO DISTRICT PLAY THURSDAY NIGHT AT CHRISTIAN COUNTY
GLASGOW — There were three lead changes in the first half alone. It was Homecoming at Glasgow High School, so the halftime kind of lingered into the night.
Then it was time for Lofton Howard and the Greenwood High School football team to get serious.
Howard, the Gators’ versatile senior and a WKU commit, did a little bit of everything as Greenwood knocked off the talented Scotties 41-28 on Friday night at Hank Royse Field. The 6-foot-5, 215-pound Howard is an outside linebacker by trade, but he’s also an effective receiver at tight end and a steadying force as the quarterback in the Gators’ Wildcat package.
ADDRESSES HIS TEAM AFTER THE GAME.
Simply put, Howard did it all as Greenwood earned its fifth victory of the season against a single defeat. The Gators (5-1) are on the road to begin KHSAA Class 5A, 2nd District play on Thursday night against Christian County (2-4) at the Stadium Of Champions in Hopkinsville.
Glasgow, which whipped the Gators 37-16 last year at The Swamp, fell to 4-2 with the loss.
“I told our kids that it’s significant that we’re 5-1,” Greenwood coach William Howard said, “but we’ve got to practice like we’re 0-0. And that’s where we are, in district play. We’ve got a short work week and we’re going to play a talented team, in a historical stadium.
“We’ve got to be ready to play, right out of the gate.”
KEPT THE GATORS ON THE ATTACK.
Glasgow seemed to have an edge for much the first half, with senior running back Keiran Stockton working between the tackles and sophomore quarterback Easton Jessie keeping the Gators honest with the passing game. Stockton, a former Greenwood player, opened the scoring with 9:14 left in the first quarter, finding the end zone from 2 yards out before the Scotties’ Wes Travis kicked the first of four extra points.
Both teams went three-and-out before Glasgow went into punt formation midway through the first quarter.
Greenwoood junior Elmo Stewart stormed through the left side of the Scotties’ protection and blocked Javon Clark’s punt in stride near the 10-yard line. Greenwood defensive end Jarred Brock pounced on the ball and scored on a 6-yard return. Drew Smothers’ PAT tied the game at 7, with 6:22 left in the first quarter, and the Gators’ sideline came to life.
IN A SOLID EFFORT IN THE SECOND HALF.
“We had the ‘block’ on, all the way,” Stewart said. “I was untouched … It felt pretty good.”
William Howard said Brock’s “scoop-and-score” was the spark Greenwood needed against Stockton and the Scotties.
“I tell our kids, anytime you block a punt, it’s going to be at least a six-point turnaround,” Howard said.
Ryan Huff, the Gators’ sophomore quarterback, converted on a fourth-and-6 play from near midfield, finding Lofton Howard over the middle for a 15-yard completion that had Greenwood approaching the red zone.
Huff would score on a 5-yard run with 1:42 left in the first quarter, putting the Gators in front 14-7.
THE BALL, PARTICULARLY IN THE FIRST HALF.
Jessie and the Scotties used a brisk drive to tie the score in the opening moments of the second quarter. Stockton scored on a 2-yard run with 9:36 left in the first half, allowing Glasgow to tie the game at 14. A fumble on the ensuing kickoff left the Gators’ defense in a precarious position, and Jessie scored on a fourth-down play himself, hitting the right sideline for a 21-yard TD run at the 7:42 mark of the second quarter.
Greenwood punched out a couple first downs, with Ryan Huff hitting Lofton Howard over the middle for a 28-yard completion, and two plays later, the Gators quarterback got his team back in the end zone.
Elmo Stewart found a seam in the Scotties’ coverage and caught Ryan Huff’s pass in the middle of the field before breaking a tackle on his way to the end zone. That scoring play covered 20 yards and tied the game at 21, with 5:22 still left in the first half.
Huff slipped the ball to Greenwood teammate Tel Tel Long on a screen pass in the final moments of the first half, and Long got to the left sideline before scoring on a 46-yard reception.
Drew Smothers’ PAT try was partially blocked and was wide left, and Greenwood led 27-21 at the half.
After the 20-minute halftime, the Gators seemed to gain the upper hand, particularly in goal-line and short-yardage situations.
Which was Lofton Howard’s time to shine, on both offense and defense.
Howard got into the open field on a quarterback draw before crossing the field on a dazzling 39-yard touchdown run, and he then added a two-point conversion on a pass to Elmo Stewart that made it 35-21 with 8:23 left in the game.
A BIG NIGHT ON BOTH OFFENSE AND DEFENSE.
“I was so tired. I had no idea how long (the scoring run) was,” Lofton Howard said with a smile when it was over. “I had a big gap to run through … Basically, I just followed my linemen into the open field.”
Glasgow wasn’t done, however, and Stockton’s 1-yard TD run with 5:22 left trimmed the Scotties’ deficit to 35-28. Greenwood’s defense recovered a Glasgow fumble, moments later, and Howard scored on a 9-yard run to account for the final margin.
It was Wildcat Night for the Gators in Glasgow. They ran out the clock with Lofton Howard directing traffic in the backfield.
OPERATES OUT OF THE WILDCAT FORMATION.
“We were having success in the Wildcat, moving the chains,” Greenwood coach William Howard said. “There wasn’t much sense in doing anything else.”
Howard wants to establish Greenwood as a more physical team, which the Gators will need to compete with the likes of their crosstown district rivals, Bowling Green High School and South Warren. He made a point to his squad that Christian County comes first, and after its open date, Greenwood will face Bowling Green and South Warren in back-to-back weeks in mid-October.
A Glasgow business sponsored Most Valuable Player awards for the game. Lofton Howard, the elder son of the Greenwood coach, was honored and given a plaque afterward, followed by Glasgow fullback/linebacker Mason Arms taking the same award for the Scotties.
Glasgow, a KHSAA Class 3A semifinalist last year, returns to Hank Royse Stadium to open district play next week against Adair County (2-4).
HAVE “TO BE MORE PHYSICAL” IN DISTRICT PLAY.