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CITY  (NewsDakota.com)–Errors came in pairs and put the Hi-Liner season on life support Friday night.

A more-disciplined, hungrier Griggs-Barnes County Titan football team forced two fumbles, picked off two passes, blocked two punts, and used a trick play to stun Valley City 6-0 at Hanna Field.

The win was the first for the Titans after being moved to “AA” for the season, and proved that the division of football has no giveaway wins, after the Hi-Liners had already beaten two playoff contenders in the western division during the non-conference season.

“This one is tough to swallow,” said Hi-Liner head coach Scott Roehrich.  “I told the guys that they had to get back whatever they had in the first two games, because they haven’t played good football since.”

The Titans used every Hi-Liner mistake to their advantage, dominating the field position of the second half with six drives that all started on Valley City’s side of midfield.

It was a blocked punt that did the Hi-Liners in.  After a fumble and in interception ended their first two second-half drives, Valley City’s defense continually turned the Titans away.  The fourth Hi-Liner possession would start at their own 20 after a touchback after starting positions of their own nine and six-yard lines on their previous two drives.

Hi-Liner punter Chase Carpenter had Titans in his face all night, and his last punt was solidly blocked at Valley City’s five, setting up the eventual winning score.  After a chop block penalty, Titan quarterback Brad Clemens tossed the ball to Wyatt Steckler, who reversed it to Jacoby Kramlich.  Kramlich then stopped and threw a bullet to a wide-open Cody Christ for the game’s lone score with 5:44 left.

The Hi-Liners took control at their own 37, their best starting field position of the entire game, and promptly threw it away on a first-down fumble by Brandon Heck.  Valley City used it’s timeouts to get the ball back, but even then, penalties came in pairs, with infractions for too many men and an illegal shift setting up a 2nd-and-20 at their own 14.

When the drive stalled, the Titans used a fourth-down run by Steckler to move the chains, and the celebration was on.  Valley City got the ball back with 13 seconds left, but three incompletions sealed the game.

Steckler carried 23 times for 61 yards to lead the Titans, while Heck ran 16 times for 59 yards to lead Valley City.

Now 2-2, but 0-2 in Region I play, the Hi-Liners welcome Kindred to Hanna Field Friday for Homecoming 2011.

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