By Jeff Patrus
Sports Writer
It was an auspicious debut ? but there’s still a whole season ahead.
Goodrich senior running back Kirk Elsworth scored three touchdowns and kicked all four extra points as the host Martians defeated Richmond 28-0 in the season opener for both teams.
A flash of lightning stopped play with 2:50 remaining, and both coaches agreed to call it a game.
Senior quarterback Keith Brotherton, a transfer from Clio, won his first game as the Martians? starting signal-caller. He connected with senior Adam Compeau on a 53-yard touchdown pass to open the game’s scoring in the first quarter.
The Martians then took a commanding 21-0 lead into the locker room at halftime, as Elsworth scored on runs of one and three yards. Elsworth wrapped up the game’s scoring with a one-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.
While he was pleased with the win, Goodrich coach Tom Alward knows there’s more work ahead for the Martians.
‘It was an excellent first game,? he said. ‘We still made a lot of mistakes, but to beat a team like Richmond, you have to feel good about that. We’re still making technical and assignment mistakes. We need more time to hone our skills on both sides of the ball.?
Elsworth picked up where he left off last year, rushing for 182 yards on 24 carries, while Brotherton completed six of 10 passes for 107 yards.
Defensively, senior Mark Bourassa led the Martians with 10 tackles, while senior Sean Trowbridge added seven tackles.
After taking on Atherton in a Sept.2 contest, the Martians travel to Hamady on Sept. 10 for a Genesee Area Conference crossover game.
The Hawks, a member of the GAC Blue Division, are looking to rebound from last year, in which they went 2-7 overall and 2-3 in the GAC Blue. First-year head coach Nathaniel Williams is at the helm for Hamady.