Grace Academy Griffins Bounce Back with 50-0 Road Shutout Over Hill Country Knights

BURNET, Texas — After a season-opening loss, the Grace Academy Griffins left no doubt in their first road test of 2024, throttling the Hill Country Knights 50-0 in a game that was over by the middle of the second quarter.

Playing under the lights at Hill Country’s home field, Grace Academy scored on its first six offensive possessions and tacked on a defensive touchdown for good measure, turning a potential trap game into a statement victory that moved the Griffins to 1-1 on the young season.

Do-everything athlete Samuel Moore stole the show with three touchdowns in the first half alone — two receiving (23 and 6 yards) from quarterback Bridger Maxwell and one on a 34-yard run. Moore finished with 3 catches for 62 yards and carried the ball once for 34 yards.

Junior running back Elijah Heilig continued his strong start to the season, punching in a pair of short touchdown runs (16 and 3 yards) while gaining 52 yards on just six carries.The Griffin defense was equally dominant, pitching a shutout while forcing three interceptions and holding Hill Country to 46 total yards and two first downs.

Freshman cornerback Nathan Washington was a one-man wrecking crew: he recorded a safety, picked off two passes (returning one 10 yards for a touchdown), and added six total tackles and two tackles for loss.

Freshman Bridger Maxwell was nearly flawless through the air, completing 5 of 6 passes for 66 yards and both of his touchdown throws went to Moore.

Key Stats – Grace Academy 50, Hill Country 0

• Total offense: Grace 156 yards on 18 plays (8.7 yards per play)

• Hill Country: 46 yards on 28 plays (1.6 yards per play)

• Turnovers forced: 3 (all interceptions)

• First downs: Grace 6, Hill Country 2

• Third-down efficiency: Grace 2-3 (67%), Hill Country 0-5 (0%)

The Griffins scored 34 points in the first quarter — the most in a single quarter in program history — and cruised the rest of the way with backups seeing extensive second-half action.

Next up: a home matchup against a much tougher opponent. But after a lopsided road win that saw contributions from nearly every player on the roster, Grace Academy looks like a team ready to put Week 1 behind them and make a serious run in TAIAO Division III.

Griffins improve to 1-1