After a slow start that found the Ell-Saline Cardinals trailing 6-0 after a quarter, the Cards got it in high gear for the final 36 minutes outscoring the Rock Hills Grizzlies by 32 points en route to their 4th win of the season.
After a nearly scoreless first quarter, Rock Hills senior Grant Myers punched it in from the 2 yard line with just :38 to go in the stanza.
Ell-Saline would be the only team to score in the second period with back-up quarterback Marshall Johnson, a junior, throwing a 10-yard TD pass to senior Mason Ellerman with 10:42 to go before half to tie the game at 6-6. Ell-Saline would then take the lead with 8:37 to go in the 2nd quarter when freshman Kas Kramer had a 17 yard scoop and score following a Grizzly fumble. The Cardinals led 14-6 at the break.
Ell-Saline was the only team to score in the 3rd quarter as well getting a 5 yard run from Johnson and a 3 yard run by junior Ryder Dent for touchdowns.
Rock Hills got back into the end zone with 9:03 to go in the game on a 9 yard run by Myers. However, Ell-Saline would answer that score with a 23 yard TD pass from Johnson to Kramer at the 6:29 mark of the final period to go up 36-12. Rock Hills had the final scored of the game when Myers scored his third TD of the night—this time on another 2-yard run with 2:47 remaining. The Cardinals would recover the onside kick and run the clock out.
Ell-Saline improved to 4-1 on the year with the win meanwhile Rock Hills fell to 1-4.
Next up, a big test for the Cardinals as they go on the road to Clifton-Clyde. The Eagles are also 4-1 after a blowout win over Lincoln. Clifton-Clyde’s only loss of the season is to top rated Axtell.
Johnson was the Nex-Tech Wireless Player of the Game and the H & R Block of the game went to sophomore Victor Ruiz-Torres.
The Homecoming Queen was Kennedy Hobby and the King was football player Aiden Brockway. Both are seniors.
