North East was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their third straight defeat. They fell 34-27 to the Girard Yellowjackets. The Grape Pickers were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Yellowjackets apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in September of 2023.
Despite the defeat, North East saw an underclassman step up: Bryson Galloway rushed for 142 yards and two touchdowns on only 12 carries, and also threw for 113 yards and a touchdown. Galloway's longest rush was for an impressive 55 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total. Ethen Ringer handled things on the ground, rushing for 88 yards.
Even if they lost, North East's defensive line still kept up the pressure with five sacks. Colin Heaton was particularly dangerous to the passing game, picking up twohimself. He is also on a roll when it comes to total tackles, as he's now made five or more in the last five games he's played dating back to last season. Another thorn in Girard's side was Pascal Laporte, who made 11 total tackles and defended a pass.
Even though they lost, North East was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 241 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Girard only rushed for 77.
Girard's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Tyler Mayes, who picked up 140 receiving yards and a touchdown.
North East's loss dropped their record down to 1-7. As for Girard, their victory ended a five-game drought at home dating back to last season and bumped them up to 2-6.
North East is taking a road trip to challenge Fairview at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. As for Girard, they didn't take long to hit the field again: they've already played their next contest, a 52-18 defeat against Fort LeBoeuf on the 18th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
