Speaking to his team in the post-game huddle following a 41-27 victory over Lakeland in a pivotal NECC Big Division showdown, Garrett coach Chris DePew opened with a simple message.
“Physical teams beat finesse teams every day of the week at every level of football,” said DePew. “That’s why we play our style, and that’s why you won that game.”
Punishing. Dominant. Assertive. All are accurate adjectives to describe what the Railroaders were able to do to visiting Lakeland on Friday.
Garrett has always been known as a blue-collar team. It rarely is going to out-athlete you. But what it is going to do, especially in a year where the squad is good, is beat you up for four quarters.
It started from the jump for the Railroaders, who not only scored the first 20 points of the game but stymied and frustrated Lakeland quarterback Brayden Holbrook. While the Lakers eventually found a rhythm on offense in the second half, Garrett’s ability to consistently command the line of scrimmage with its dudes up front meant that Lakeland could never get enough stops to truly have a chance to come back.
When the Lakers got on the board with a kickoff return for a touchdown by Keyan Arroyo, Garrett immediately answered with a 59-yard touchdown run by Alex Guzman.
When Holbrook hit Levi Cook for a 22-yard touchdown to bring Lakeland to within 27-12, the Railroaders put together a long drive that was capped by a 1-yard plunge by Calder Hefty to stymie the Lakers’ momentum.
There is no doubt that this season has been building for awhile in Garrett. Thrust into roles as sophomores, this senior class – guys like Hefty, Cam Ruble, Parker Skelly and others – are seasoned veterans that have led the way to the Railroaders’ best start to a season since 2016.
But there is also depth. Brayden Nusbaum is a two-way standout as a junior. Guzman is just a sophomore and rushed for a pair of touchdowns and 123 yards on just eight carries. And the front lines are mixed with experienced upperclassmen and underclass talent.
For the game, Garrett rushed for 418 yards, led by Ruble’s 152 on 28 carries. Conversely, it picked off Holbrook four times on defense. Lakeland was able to move the ball consistently in the second half by going up-tempo and allowing Holbrook to cook. But the Railroaders’ dominance offensively meant every Lakers score was matched by Garrett on the ensuing possession.
Coach DePew isn’t going to deviate from how he operates. On Friday, he praised his team for the way they played – throwing themselves around from the jump and challenging Lakeland to meet their physicality. The Lakers couldn’t do it.
Perhaps it was fitting that the night saw the honoring of Garrett’s 1974 Class 3A state championship team. That squad went 12-0, culminating in a dub over North Knox to bring the big trophy back to Garrett.
The 2024 edition of the Garrett Railroaders are every bit as physical as that team of old. And so far, they have been able to meet every challenge presented to them in a 4-0 start. Obstacles loom, including a Week 6 showdown at West Noble and a tough sectional field.
“All you did was win one more game,” said DePew in his closing remarks to his squad on Friday. “There’s a long way to go and a lot of work to do.”
But if Garrett can continue to execute, this season could end up being pretty special.
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