After a first half too close for comfort, the Goodrich varsity football team took care of business against Lake Fenton Oct. 1.
The Martians scored four second-half touchdowns on their way to defeating the host Blue Devils 42-7. Goodrich improved to 5-1 overall and 3-0 in the Genesee Area Conference Red Division.
‘Our kids got a little angry at our performance in the first half,? Goodrich coach Tom Alward said. ‘They decided to take over the game and they did just that. We had a little adversity, and they fought through it.?
Goodrich took advantage of five Lake Fenton interceptions, returning two of them for touchdowns. Wayne Coulman earned the Martians? first touchdown when he picked off a Lake Fenton pass and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown.
Coulman then picked off another Lake Fenton at the Goodrich four-yard-line on fourth down. After a penalty, Goodrich was 98 yards away, but senior Kirk Elsworth capped off a 13-play drive with a nine-yard touchdown run to put the Martians up 14-0.
In the second quarter, the Blue Devils recovered a mistimed lateral from Goodrich quarterback Keith Brotherton to Elsworth. Lake Fenton then went 75 yards on 15 plays and scored a touchdown with 2:56 left in the second to cut the Goodrich lead to 14-7.
However, in the second half, it was all Goodrich. Elsworth scored on a five-yard touchdown run on the opening drive of the third quarter, then picked off a Lake Fenton pass and returned it 30-yards for another touchdown.
Brotherton added a five-yard touchdown run later in the third, and Elsworth capped off the scoring with a 23-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, which was set up by yet another Goodrich interception, this one by Dominic Rivera.
Alward said the Martians stepped it up defensively in the second half.
‘In the first half, we were kind of hit and miss,? he said. ‘It was a matter of refocusing what we needed to do. In the first half, we made some mistakes, but in the second half, we didn’t make those mistakes.?
Elsworth ran the ball 25 times for 219 yards, and scored four touchdowns total. Brotherton completed 3-of-5 passes for 40 yards, and carried the ball four times for 32 yards.
The Martians hosted Mt. Morris (2-4 overall, 1-2 GAC Red) Oct. 8 in their final home game of the season. Alward said the Martians will have to establish themselves from the opening whistle.
‘They have an excellent running game,? Alward said of the Panthers. ‘We have to get off to a good start. We can’t start like we did against Lake Fenton.?
Goodrich’s next game is Oct. 15 when they travel to LakeVille. The Falcons are 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the GAC Red Division after defeating Byron 37-12 on Oct. 1.