Upstart Spartans stifle tenth ranked Plainsmen (with photo slideshow)

Headed into the 2018 season, neither the Grundy Center players, coaches or fans know exactly what to expect: the Spartans are young, inexperienced at the varsity level and undoubtedly raw. If Friday night’s 34-22 takedown of 10th ranked Belle Plaine is any indication, however, the new look squad just may have discovered a winning formula.
           
“(It’s because of) the work we put in this summer when no one’s watching. We all were working hard trying to get better,” junior quarterback Cale Hendricks said. “No one was really looking at us, but we knew we had some big shoes to fill.”
 
With a combination of power running, spread passing and an opportunistic defense that nabbed a pair of key interceptions at crucial moments, Grundy Center gained control late and showed up in a big way on its home field—even after star running back Caleb Kuiper went down with a lower body injury in the second half.
 
“We learned a lot about our kids tonight. We had a bunch of new starters out there, and a bunch of kids made plays for us,” head coach Brent Thoren said. “We weren’t really sure what our team was going to be like this year just because we had so many new faces and so many new things that we’re doing, but I’m just really pleased with how they competed.”
           
Both teams squandered chances to get on the scoreboard in the opening frame. Hendricks found Nick Ascher on a bubble screen and broke a pair of big runs to move the Spartans (1-0) into enemy territory, but an unfortunate bounce off the hands of Austin Knaack fell into the outstretched arms of Belle Plaine star Trevin Straight at the 12-yard line.
           
From there, the Plainsmen (0-1) marched down the field slowly but surely and seemed poised to take an early lead: a Garrett Straight keeper put them in the red zone, but a holding call on a second and eight running play derailed their momentum. On fourth and 11, Garrett Straight tossed up a lob pass that never had much of a chance, and his offense walked to the sidelines empty handed.
           
Hendricks, fresh off of an early mishap, remained remarkably cool and composed from that point forward. 
           
“I’d like to thank my teammates for that. They were telling me to just flush (the interception) and don’t think about it. It wasn’t anything you could change,” Hendricks said. “You just go out there and make the plays that you need to.”
 
On the ensuing drive, he connected with Knaack for an 11-yard gain and picked up another first down with his feet before letting his workhorse, Kuiper, do the rest. The senior who rushed for 1,465 yards last season picked up 10 to get down to the 19 and found pay dirt on his next attempt, barreling into the end zone for the first Spartan touchdown of 2018 with 10:07 to go in the second quarter. 
 
To purchase prints of the photos below, click here. 
 

 
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