The varsity football fell to Carver, 16-12, on Sept. 5 at Lakewood Stadium.

The Panthers entered the game with a much feared spread offense. And that offense started the game as advertised. Early in the first quarter, Carver jumped out to an early lead of 7-0 on a 70-yard touchdown pass after a quarterback scramble and a missed tackle in the secondary. Carver was able to tack on another seven points after a Carver defender turned an errant screen pass from quarterback Caylin Newton into an interception return for a touchdown to make the score 14-0 at the end of the first quarter.

Grady, however, would not give up. Fueled by a power running game, Grady regained the game’s momentum. Jacquez Sloane ran 75 yards for a touchdown, breaking five tackles after first contact in the backfield. Excitement then turned to concern with a missed extra point, leaving the score 14-6. Kicking struggles have been a theme of the early season as Grady also missed a extra point in its first game of the season.

Early in the fourth quarter, after a red zone stop by the Grady defense, the offense was pushed back to the 3-yard line by penalties. The field position proved costly as a negative shotgun running play resulted in a safety.

The Grady defense stepped up in the fourth quarter, as Carver was unable to score any points. Grady had a pivotal interception while Carver was within striking distance; however, the offense couldn’t capitalize.

The Knights put together a drive near the end of the fourth quarter when down by four after a touchdown and failed two-point conversion. Driving in Carver territory, Grady faced a fourth and 9 and was not able to convert, giving Carver the ball and the ability to run out the clock.

Senior receiver Colin Bray was content with the team’s performance in the second half, despite the loss. “We played a lot better in the second half than we did in the first half,” Bray said. “For the rest of the season, we have to make sure we don’t get into that hole again.”