In a back-and-forth football game between Goodrich and Montrose, it was the host Rams who ultimately prevailed.
Micky Stiles scored his third rushing touchdown of the game for the Rams with 8:42 left in the fourth quarter as Montrose defeated the Genesee Area Conference Red Division rival Martians 26-23, dropping Goodrich to 1-3 on the season.
Stiles scored two touchdowns in the first quarter to give the Rams an early 13-0 lead, but Jake Bourassa brought the Martians back into the game with a three-yard touchdown run with 1:35 left in the first. Chris Tanner’s two-point conversion run was successful, trimming the Rams? lead to 13-8.
Bourassa then scored another three-yard touchdown with 4:49 left in the second, then ran for the two-point conversion to put the Martians ahead 16-13. However, Montrose’s Adam Campbell answered with a 16-yard touchdown run with 1:17 left in the second to give the Rams a 19-16 lead at halftime.
Shortly after the start of the second half, Goodrich quarterback Tyler Moncrieff punched it in from one yard out, giving the Martians a 23-19 lead. However, the Rams? fourth-quarter touchdown proved to be the difference in the game.
After a scheduled Sept. 22 game against Lake Fenton, the Martians are scheduled to return home for their Sept. 29 Homecoming game against Mt. Morris.
The Panthers are currently 2-2 on the season and 2-0 in the GAC Red Division, including a 26-7 win against Mt. Morris on Sept. 15. The Panthers defeated the Martians 38-20 in their 2005 meeting.