Eagle soar to state championship game

GRANADA - A new 8-man state champion will be crowned this season thanks to the Dayspring Christian Eagles.

Dayspring Christian posted the biggest victory in the school's playoff history as the Eagles shocked the defending 8-man state champion Granada Bobcats with a huge 47-17 upset victory here on a perfect Saturday afternoon for football.

The win for Dayspring Christian also snapped Granada's 24-game winning streak dating back to last year's state title run that was capped with a 13-0 record.

Dayspring Christian's victory sets up a Hi-Plains matchup for this year's state championship as the Eagles will travel to face Merino next Saturday.

"This was probably the most prolific win we've had in the history of Dayspring Christian football expect when they won the 6-man state championship back in 1984," said a happy Dayspring Christian head coach Mick Holmes. "Luke did a great job of leading our team and he's a great kid. All our kids hustled and they worked hard."

Dayspring quarterback Luke Greener was one of a number of players who turned in sterling performances for the Eagles. The senior signal caller completed 14-of-20 passes for 239 yards and fired four TD strikes on the afternoon. Greener carried the ball eight times for zero yards but scored on a one-yard run.

"Our speed was definitely the difference," said Greener after the game. "This was really a big win for us."

The receiving tandem of Michael Moore and Dan Baer combined for 10 catches for 173 yards. Moore was on the receiving end of seven passes for 129 yards including two touchdown catches of 48 yards and 19 yards while Baer caught three passes for 44 yards including touchdown strikes of 32 yards and eight yards.

The game was a shootout in the first half as Granada took an 11-7 lead after the first quarter before Dayspring Christian rallied for a 26-17 lead at halftime and would never look back.

Dayspring Christian drew first blood as the Eagles on their second possession of the game on a one-yard plunge by Greener. It was the first time a team had scored first on Granada all season.

Granada answered with a 40-yard field goal by Widener to make it 7-3 with 2:32 showing in the first quarter.

The Eagles would shut out Granada in the second half and yield the Bobcats only 16 yards of total offense in the half. Dayspring Christian scored twice in the third quarter on a 12 yard run by Taplin and a 48 yard TD pass from Greener to Moore that gave the Eagles a 41-17 advantage.

Greener and Moore would hook up again on 19 yard TD strike in the fourth quarter to round out the game's scoring.

"Our defense has improved a lot over the last two or three games," praised Holmes. "I was kind of shocked in the first half how Granada moved the ball at will against us. But the we shut them down in the second half and our kids responded. I think part of that goes to my defensive coordinator Harley Lowe who called some funky little things at the beginning of the second half that created some good situations for our kids. Hats off to Harley."

Dayspring Christian 47, Granada 17

Dayspring Christian 7 19 15 6 -- 47

Granada 11 6 0 0 --17

SCORING

1st quarter:

DS--Luke Greener 1 run (Jared Sanderford kick)

G--Riley Widener 40 yard FG

G--Tyson Thrall 52 pass from Tyndan Marquez (Widener pass from Marquez)

2nd quarter:

DS--Dan Baer 8 pass from Greener (Sanderford kick)

G--Thrall 3 run (kick failed)

DS--D. Baer 50 run (kick failed)

DS--D. Baer 32 pass from Greener (pass failed)

3rd quarter:

DS--Kyle Taplin 12 run (Sanderford kick)

DS--Michael Moore 48 pass from Greener (Moore run)

4th quarter:

DS--Moore 19 pass from Greener (kick failed)

Passing -- Dayspring Christian: Luke Greener 14-20 239 4 TDS, 1 INT:

Granada: Tyndan Marquez, 10-26-1 TD, 1 INT.

Receiving--Dayspring Christian: Dan Baer 3-44-2 TDs, Sanderford 1-22,

Kyle Taplin 1-7, Michael Moore 7-129-2 TDs, Brock Martin 1-15, Wesley

Lowe 1-21.

Rushing--Dan Baer 14-102, 1 TD, Luke Greener 8- (-0), 1 TD, Jared

Sanderford 3-28, Kyle Taplin 5-59, 1 TD. Granada: Tyson Thrall 15-62-1

TD, Dustin Bohlander 8-20, Marquez 13-(-8), Chris DeLeon 2-5.