GALION – Braxton Prosser is relishing the opportunity to play quarterback for the Galion Tigers.
“We have a really great community and great fans,” Prosser said.
“I’ll see them at the gas station or something, and they’ll tell me ‘great game’, so it feels great to be a part of Galion football,” he said.
Galion opens MOAC play with a bang
Prosser and his teammates may hear a few more ‘great games’ while out and about, especially after the Tigers handled Clear Fork 35-3 on Friday night.
Friday’s game began Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference (MOAC) play for both teams, so it was important to begin this portion of the season with a win, Prosser said.
“I feel great because the MOAC is a really tough place to be,” he said. “Our goal is 1-0 every single week, and that’s going to be tough, but I think we can pull it off.”
After a slow start in a scoreless first quarter for the Tigers, Prosser and the offense began to find their form, scoring two touchdowns in the second period for a 14-3 halftime lead.
“I think it was a slow start for our offensive line,” he said. “They really started to get comfortable and picked it up in the second half.”
Prosser completed 6-of-11 passes for 188 yards and 3 TDs, while rushing for 31 yards on six carries.
“Braxton get’s confident, he really had a nice pocket tonight,” Galion Coach Matt Dick said. “(Our) offensive line did a good job and receivers ran good routes.”
Clear Fork at Galion Photo Gallery
One week at a time
Dick echoed the importance for his team to attack each week one at a time, especially when it comes to their conference opponents.
“Everyone is special in their own little way,” he said. “I think Clear Fork is a really gritty team who runs the ball well and they hit people, that’s their strength.”
The Colts struggled to find their groove offensively, with their only points of the night coming via a 21-yard field goal from Adam Vanausdale in the first quarter.
Clear Fork junior quarterback Mason Sansom completed 4-of-6 passes for 76 yards.
“Many many times here at Galion, we’ve overlooked a team, or just got too full of ourselves,” Dick said.
“So we’re trying to keep them humble and on that one focus of 1-0, and our kids are buying into it.”
A particular, often overlooked group that Dick wanted to give praise to was the Tiger’s scout team, the players responsible for preparing the starting offense and defense.
“I can’t say enough for our scout team offense and defense this week,” he said. “Those guys did an incredible job giving us a look, almost to the point our coordinators were fired up every day.”
Clear Fork at Galion Video Highlights
Galion dominant on both sides of the ball
The Tigers recorded 409 total yards of offense, 188 through the air and 221 on the ground, while defensively holding Clear Fork to 151 total yards.
Galion senior running-back Gabe Ivy rumbled for 120 yards and 1 TD on 15 attempts, while receivers Linkon Tyrrell and Jacob Chambers combined for 162 yards receiving and 3 TDs.
“It’s a whole team effort and it’s exciting when it all fits together,” Dick said. “There’s a lot of dudes to get the ball to, and we’re just trying to find the best way to go 1-0.”
Galion (4-0, 1-0 MOAC) will play on the road at Shelby (3-1, 1-0 MOAC) next week.
Clear Fork (1-3, 0-1 MOAC) will host Ontario (4-0, 1-0 MOAC).
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
21-yard field goal kicked by Adam Vanausdale (Clear Fork), 3-0.
Second Quarter
Linkon Tyrrell 76-yard pass from Braxton Prosser (Galion), 7-3.
Gabe Ivy 80-yard rushing touchdown (Galion), 14-3.
Third Quarter
Jacob Chambers 79-yard pass from Braxton Prosser (Galion), 21-3.
Fourth Quarter
Linkon Tyrrell 7-yard pass from Braxton Prosser (Galion), 28-3.
Braxton Stuckman 3-yard rushing touchdown (Galion), 35-3.