Grace Community School's Braydon Stone makes a touchdown run in the first quarter of their football game at home against Bishop Thomas K. Gorman Cathedral School. (Sarah A. Miller/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

 

In a battle for a home playoff game it was a track meet in the first half and the home team pulled away in the second half.

Grace Community outlasted Bishop Gorman 56-27 in a TAPPS D-II District 2 contest at Clyde-Perkins Stadium on Friday night.

The quarterbacks for the two teams, childhood friends, did not disappoint as the Cougar’s Christopher Wilhelmi passed for four touchdowns and rushed for two others, while the Crusaders’ Jake Smith passed for 396 yards and three touchdowns.

Wilhelmi also toted the ball for 111 yards and two scores.

With the win, the Cougars (6-3, 4-1), if they defeat Bullard Brook Hill next week, will host a first-round playoff contest.

Grace was led in receiving by Garrett Tauscher with four catches for 158 yards and Uchenna Uduma added 87 yards rushing and a 1-yard scoring jaunt.

Ethan Milton was a workhorse for Gorman (4-5, 3-2) as he rushed 23 times for 183 yards and a touchdown and Smith’s favorite target Judah Bell, who caught 13 balls for 213 yards and three touchdowns.

After a fast-paced first half, Grace took the opening kickoff of the second half and scored on a 10-play drive, capped off with a Wilhelmi 9-yard run to push its advantage to 42-20 with 8:28 left in the third quarter.

The Grace defense gave up yards but held when they needed a stop thanks to linebackers Josh Spitzer and Jared Gilley putting pressure on BG’s Smith and lineman Ndukwe Uduma stopping the Crusaders on a fourth-and-1 running play at the goal line. The Cougars defense allowed yards, but was stingy giving up points.

The Cougars took the ball over at the Crusaders 40 and scored on a four-play drive when Wilhelmi found Braydon Stone for a 7-yard touchdown pass.

Gorman then took the ball deep into Cougars territory until three consecutive incompletions turned the ball over on downs.

Wilhelmi passed for 273 first-half yards and threw for three touchdowns and rushed for another in the first half.

The Cougars scored on five of their seven first-half possessions, amassing 414 total yards.

The Crusaders gained 335 total yards in the first half with Smith throwing for 226 yards, while Bell and Tyler Hobbs catching passes for 78 and 76, respectively.

Grace got on the scoreboard first when Wilhelmi passed 62 yards to Zach West for 7-0 lead with 9:43 left in the first period.

Gorman would answer back in 1:35 on a 30-yard pass from Smith to Bell.

Isaiah Haggerty had an interception and caught six passes for 50 yards for Gorman.

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TAPPS D-II District 2

At Clyde-Perkins Stadium

No.8 Grace 56, No. 9 Gorman 27

Gorman 7 13 0 7- 27

Grace 21 14 7 14- 56

First Quarter

GC-Zach West 62 pass from Christopher Wilhelmi (Andrew Carrazco kick), 9:43.

BG-Judah Bell 30 pass from Jake Smith (Daniel Schmitt kick), 8:05.

GC-Braydon Stone 54 run (Carrazco kick), 7:19.

GC-Garrett Täuscher 45 pass from Wilhelmi (Carrazco kick), :32.

Second Quarter

BG-Ethan Milton 1 run (Schmitt kick), 9:35.

GC-Tauscher 45 pass from Wilhelmi (Carrazco kick), 8:36.

BG-Bell 12 pass from Smith (kick failed), 6:56.

GC-Wilhelmi 5 run (Carrazco kick), 4:07.

Third Quarter

GC-Wilhelmi 9 run (Carrazco kick), 8:28.

Fourth Quarter

GC-Uchenna Uduma 1 run (Carrazco kick), 11:12.

GC-Stone 7 pass from Wilhelmi (Carrazco kick), 6:36.

BG-Bell 1 pass from Smith (Schmitt kick), 4:59.

BG GC

First Downs 31 27

Rushing Yards 29-148 44-367

Passing Yards 396 296

Passing Stats 29-39-0 11-15-1

Punting Stats 2-43.5 1-31

Fumble-Lost 1-0 1-0

Penalties 2-20 6-36

Individual Stats

Rushing-Gorman, Ethan Milton 23-188, Isaiah Haggerty 1-5, Jake Smith 5-(-45). Grace, Uchenna Uduma 14-87, Christopher Wilhelmi 14-111, Caleb Glenney 12-65, Zach West 2-21, Braydon Stone 1-54, Garrett Tauscher 1-54.

Passing-Gorman, Smith 29-39-0 3960. Grace, Wilhelmi 11-15-1 296.

Receiving-Gorman, Judah Bell 13-213, Tyler Hobbs 8-96, Haggerty 6-50, Daniel Schmitt 2-37. Grace, Tauscher 4-158, West 1-62, Stone 5-67, Parker Ary 1-9.