Aurora – After missing his team’s first six games, Grandview’s Aubrey Quarles couldn’t wait to get back on the football field.
The senior receiver and running back returned last week against Boulder and scored a rushing touchdown as the Wolves coasted to a win.
Thursday night at Legacy Stadium, Quarles made a bigger impact as No. 8-ranked Grandview beat Fairview for the first time, 14-7, and remained tied for first place with Mullen in the Centennial League.
“It had to take a big play to put some points on the board,” Quarles said after a defensive struggle in which both teams were held scoreless until he turned a short pass from quarterback Jared Schlehuber into a 42-yard touchdown with 1:11 left in the third quarter.
“He’s getting back in game shape,” Grandview coach John Schultz said of Quarles, who was academically ineligible to start the season.
Quarles caught six of Schlehuber’s 11 completions (in 22 attempts for 126 yards) for 84 yards and rushed nine times for 42 yards.
“It feels real good to contribute in a game,” Quarles said. “We’d never beaten Fairview, so this was a big game.”
It was the first of three big games for Grandview (7-1, 5-0 Centennial). The Wolves close the regular season with games at Mullen and against Cherry Creek.
“Those are two games we’ve been looking forward to all year,” Schultz said.
Linebacker Jahmil Taylor pressured Knights junior quarterback T.C. McCartney on the second play of the fourth quarter, and defensive back James Bowen intercepted McCartney’s pass and returned it 55 yards for a 14-0 lead.
“Our defense is solid and has been playing well all year,” Schultz said.
Fairview (4-4, 1-4), which has lost three consecutive games to top 10 teams Cherry Creek, Mullen and Grandview, scored on McCartney’s 55-yard pass to tight end Peter Conway with 2:03 remaining.
Fairview 0 0 0 7 – 7
Grandview 0 0 7 7 – 14
G – Quarles 42 pass from Schlehuber (Veryser kick). G – Bowen 55 interception return (Veryser kick). F – Conway 55 pass from McCartney (Knowles kick).
