GREENLAND — The Greenland offensive line pushed around Elkins all night in the Pirates’ 27-0 victory Friday.
Anthony McCool used the lanes produced by the line to rush for 197 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries.
“The offensive line played well all game,” Greenland coach Lee Larkan said. “(McCool) used good, hard running and he was breaking tackles, but the guys in front of him really did a good job. Early on that was about as good as we could have played.”
Greenland’s first drive of the game looked to have stalled. But quarterback Jordan Larkan took a fourth-down scramble and turned it into a 36-yard touchdown, hitting Ryan Duchanois on a jump-ball with an Elkins defender.
Later in the first quarter, McCool pushed the lead to 14-0 with a 14-yard touchdown up the middle, his fifth carry of the drive.
Less than three minutes later McCool scored again, this time from one yard to put Elkins in a 21-0 hole early in the second quarter.
“We just didn’t play well enough,” Elkins coach Aaron Clark said. “To put ourselves in that position early on, we just couldn’t climb out. But Greenland just outplayed us (Friday).”
McCool scored again in the fourth quarter with an eight-yard touchdown, capping his night.
Elkins managed to get inside the Greenland 37 five times, but could not put any points on the scoreboard. Two interceptions and two failed fourth-down conversions on those drives cost the Elks any chance of catching the Pirates (6-2, 4-1 3A-1 Conference).
“We had a couple of good drives, but whenever we got something going, we just did something wrong that cost us,” Clark said.
Overall, Elkins (6-2, 4-1) turned the ball over three times, while forcing only one Greenland turnover.
Weston Curry led the Elks offensively with 41 yards receiving on four catches and 30 yards rushing on one carry.
Duchanois caught three passes for 69 yards for Greenland.
With the win, the Pirates hold the tiebreaker over Elkins in the conference race for second behind conference leader West Fork.
PREP FOOTBALL
3A-1 CONFERENCE
GREENLAND 27, ELKINS 0
Elkins 0 0 0 0 — 0
Greenland 14 7 0 6 — 27
First Quarter
Green – Duchanois 36 pass from Larkan (Rojas kick), 8:52.
Green – McCool 14 run (Rojas kick), 1:41.
Second Quarter
Green – McCool 1 run (Rojas kick), 10:48.
Fourth Quarter
Green – McCool 8 run (Rojas kick), 6:09.