Rams run past St. George’s in weather-shortened first-round playoff game
By Ken Lay
Whenever Grace Christian Academy’s football team prevails in a playoff game, coach Justin Price wants the Rams to relish the victory.
“We work so hard and anytime our kids win a playoff game, we want our kids to enjoy it,” Price said after Grace ran past St. George’s, 49-0, in the first round of the Division II-AA playoffs Friday night at the Jerry Disney Family Sports Complex. “Winning is hard, but if you were at the game tonight, you saw our guys make this look easy.
“Sometimes, they do that because they’re so talented. You want to be playing your best football late in the year, and I think we are.”
The Rams (9-2) had plenty to enjoy against the Gryphons (6-5), who hail from Collierville. They scored on their first seven possessions, and the Grace defense notched its third consecutive shutout.
“We’re playing well in all three phases of the game, offense, defense and even special teams,” Price said. “And St. George’s, they’re a good team and they have a new coach and he’s turning things around for them.
“But our defense has just been amazing, and this is our third straight shutout,” Price said.
The Gryphons, who won just one game in 2024, certainly had a tough night against the Rams, who led 21-0 at the end of the first quarter and put up four more touchdowns in the second stanza.
After halftime, most of the Grace starters got a well-deserved rest as the game was played with a running clock. The Rams punted once in the third quarter. Other than that, the only thing that halted the party was the thunder and lightning that forced the game to be called approximately a minute into the final frame.
Grace wasted little time finding the end zone against the Gryphons, scoring less than two minutes into the game when quarterback Cooper Brayman connected with Jace Ballard on a 20-yard touchdown pass. Braden Walker added the extra point, making the score 7-0, with 10 minutes, 14 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
Just over three minutes later, the Rams extended their advantage to 14-0 on a 17-yard touchdown scamper by freshman JV Stinson, who was key to Grace’s success last season as an eighth grader.
And Grace was far from finished as it scored again when Brayman hooked up with Kaden Webber from 57 yards out, making it 21-0.
Brayman was one of two quarterbacks used by Grace before halftime. He was 6-of-7 through the air for 120 yards and threw three touchdown passes. Treyson Derry, who recently returned from injury, completed 4-of-7 passing attempts for 69 yards and a touchdown.
In the second quarter, Stinson had a 39-yard touchdown run, and Ballard scored on a 39-yard run and caught a touchdown pass.
Derry also threw a 19-yard scoring strike to eighth grader Braylen Mathis in the frame.
In the first half, Grace amassed 322 yards of total offense. The Ram defense was particularly stingy as it surrendered just seven yards before halftime.
The Rams will be home for a second-round game Friday when they host Battle Ground Academy. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.
The Wildcats, who hail from Franklin, enter the game with a 10-1 record after winning an opening-round postseason tilt against Notre Dame, 56-7, on Thursday.
“Things will get tougher (this) week against BGA,” Price said. “They’re a good team, and we’ll have to be good in all three phases of the game.
