Steers dominate Hawks in 3-4A opener

When the 2018 schedule was released, many people figured the District 3-4A Division II opener between Graham and Iowa Park would decide the district championship.  

After the smoke had settled and the lights were turned off at Newton Field on Friday, it was all Graham from the opening kick. The Steers' defense was able to force five turnovers on night while the offense scored on four of its six posessions in the first 24 minutes of the game on their way to a 42-14 rout of the Iowa Park Hawks.

The Steers received the ball first and went right to work. Hunter Lanham and the offense drove 66 yards on eight plays. Senior Chase Gilmore punched it in from 2-yards out giving Graham a quick 7-0 lead. 

Iowa Park (1-5, 0-1) had trouble all evening getting anything going offensively. The Hawks longest play game on their first drive of the half when quarterback Trent Green found Slayton Ochoa for a 39-yard strike. The drive eventually ended in a punt. 

The Steers took a 14-0 lead on Daniel Gilbertson's 17-yard run halfway through the opening quarter. 

Green was intercepted on the Hawks' second drive of the half by sophomore defensive back Zach Martin. 

The pick allowed Lanham and the offense to get to the Iowa Park 45-yard line but ended in a punt. 

After another Iowa Park punt, the Graham offense was at it again. Gilbertson added his second score of the half on a 20-yard completion from Lanham with 9:32 remaining in the second quarter. 

Green threw his second interception of the opening half with Iowa Park having their best field position. The Hawks were attempting a third-and-eight when Raider Horn came through the middle to sack Green. Right before the signal-called fell to the ground he launched the ball into the air and was picked off by senior defensive lineman Will Hays. 

Graham attempted one final score of the first half with the clock ticking down. On a third-and-11 from their own six-yard line, Lanham found Gilbertson for a 13-yard gain and a first down. The offense completed another third down on the drive on Lanham's six-yard strike to senior Nolan Carroll. The drive eventually would go for 93 yards and end in a Damien Zemski seven-yard catch in the end zone with 21 seconds left in the half for a dominating 28-0 lead. 

Lanham threw for 179 yards in just the first half alone. 

Iowa Park showed no signs of life in the second half with the Graham front five dominating the line of scrimmage. Will Hays, Klayton Read, Landon Hebert, Gordo Renteria and Garrett Dickey were able to record four sacks in the game. 

Meanwhile the Steers secondary consisting of Horn, J.J. Lee and Tristin Cromer each played well limiting Green to just 67 yards through the air in the opening half. 

Iowa Park didn't record its first touchdown until early in the fourth quarter on a 28-yard Green completion to Kaden Ashlock to make it a 35-7 contest. 

Wyatt Mayberry saw action late in the fourth and scored on a 3-yard run with 5:23 remaining.

The Steers now even their overall record at 3-3 and take their three-game winning streak on the road to Bridgeport next Friday. For more on tonight's vicotry see the midweek edition of The Graham Leader.