Grand County High School quarterback Bryant Troutt and the rest of the GCHS offense made the most of its opportunities on Friday, Oct. 4, as the Red Devils made quick work of the Carbon Dinos in a Region 12 matchup, ending 47-6.
At halftime, the Red Devils led only 20-6, thwarting a Dinos threat late in the first half on an interception by Ryelan Jones. In the second half, the team immediately put the game on ice as Troutt scampered for 73 yards on the first scrimmage play of the third quarter, extending the lead to 27-6. The Red Devils added three more touchdowns before the final whistle for the win.
Troutt finished with 232 yards rushing and five touchdowns, propelling him to second in 3A in both categories behind San Juan’s Kian Conway. Troutt also completed 3-of-5 passes for 59 yards. Brayden Cloud had 54 yards and a touchdown on five carries. Overall, the GCHS offense only ran 33 plays.
“When we scored, we scored pretty quick,” GCHS football Coach Dennis Wells said. “We only had 33 plays, which is about half of what we usually have.”
Wells attributed the Red Devils’ offensive success versus Carbon to the adjustments made after being shutout the week before by San Juan.
“A lot of what happened versus San Juan was my fault – our offense was too predictable,” he said. “We still ran the same plays this week, but we made some changes so it was harder for the defense to read where the play was going.”
The Red Devil defense also stepped up in its own right, forcing four Carbon turnovers – two fumble recoveries by Tyler Morey and one by Tanner Crane in addition to Jones’s interception. Brayden Troutt had 19 tackles, and now leads 3A with 94, while Dylan Harrison added 14 tackles and Clynn Backus had 11 tackles and two sacks.
“Two games in a row, the defense has really been stepping it up,” Wells said. “It’s nice to have that, and we’re going to need it going forward.”
GCHS currently sits at second in the Region 12 standings and 11th in the UHSAA 3A RPI rankings at 4-4, 2-1 in region play. The Red Devils finish out the home portion of their schedule this week versus South Sevier. South Sevier is 1-7, 1-2, following a 21-20 win over Emery. Last year, GCHS beat the Rams twice, 34-14 in the regular season and 28-21 in the 2A quarterfinal.
“South Sevier is a better team than their record says they are,” Wells said. “They have played close against some good teams, and they always give us a good game. We’ll have to work hard this week and show up ready to play.”
Kickoff between the Red Devils and the Rams is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 11, at 7 p.m.
GCHS beats Carbon, 47-6, in Price
When: Friday, Oct. 11, 7 p.m.
Where: GCHS football field, 608 S. 400 East
