ROGERS -- The new cast in the Rogers High triple option offense got off to a slow start Friday night against Siloam Springs.
Rogers, which has 11 new starters on offense, failed to get a first down on its first possession after watching the Panthers offense use just two plays for a 7-0 lead on the game's opening possession.
How They Scored
Rogers High 35
Siloam Springs 21
Siloam Springs^7^7^7^0^—^21
Rogers High^0^21^7^7^—^35
First Quarter
Siloam — Davis 70 pass from Lampton (Vazquez kick), 11:05
Second Quarter
Rogers — Grisgby 1 run (Nolan kick), 11:54
Siloam — Washington 23 pass from Lampton (Vazquez kick), 9:34
Rogers — Grigsby 5 run (Nolan kick), 6:01
Rogers — Grigsby 70 run (Nolan kick), 2:30
Third Quarter
Siloam — Washington 59 pass from Lampton (Vazquez kick), 2:32
Rogers — Grigsby 79 run (Nolan kick), 1:23
Fourth Quarter
Rogers — Grigsby 89 run (Nolan kick), 10:56
But then Mounties fullback Bryan Grigsby kicked the offense into gear with a record setting performance. Grigsby rushed 32 times for 446 yards and the senior scored all five of the Mounties touchdowns in a 35-21 victory over Siloam Springs in the season opener for both schools at Whitey Smith Stadium.
Grigsby shattered the old 7A-West Conference single game rushing record of 350 yards that was set by Fort Smith Northside's Keniko Logan in the mid 1990s. Grigsby had touchdown runs of one, five, 70, 79 and 89 yards.
"Dude ran wild," Rogers coach Shawn Flannigan said. "We saw some things that Siloam was doing defensively that we thought we could take advantage of. They were short a guy on one side and we outnumbered them and could get an extra blocker. Grigsby was the beneficiary of that. He outran people and he ran hard."
Grigsby had 228 yards on 21 carries in the first half as the Mounties took a 21-14 lead. Siloam tied the game at 21-21 late in the third quarter when quarterback Chris Lampton hit Zane Washington for a 59-yard touchdown.
But two plays later, Grigsby went 79 yards to the end zone for a 28-21 and he capped his night with an 89-yard touchdown run that gave the Mounties a 14-point lead with 10 minutes, 48 seconds left in the game.
"(Grigsby) is a stud, no doubt about that," Siloam coach Bryan Ross said. "We just couldn't stop him. We couldn't tackle him. He is the real deal."
Grigsby rushed for 520 yards on 75 carries last season and said he was surprised that his number was called as often as it was.
"The blocking tonight was amazing," Grigsby said. "It was all on the line and their blocking, I just made the cuts. We ran the same play multiple times."
Extra Points
• Grigsby was the only Rogers player to touch the ball in the second quarter as the senior rushed 15 times for 178 yards and three touchdowns.
• Rogers senior Jay Young blocked a Siloam punt late in the third quarter but Panthers punter Luke Lampton retrieved the ball and rushed seven yards for a first down.
• Chris Lampton was 24 of 44 passing for 327 yards and three touchdowns. Rogers outgained Siloam Springs 524-368 and all of the Mounties output came on the ground.
Up Next: Rogers travels to Claremore, Oklahoma next week for the first of two-straight nonconference road games for the Mounties. Rogers is at Jefferson City, Mo. Sept. 19.
Sports on 09/06/2014