LIVERMORE FALLS — If high school football has an equivalent to hitting for the cycle, Greely’s defense and special teams turned it Friday night at Griffin Field.

Nick Maynard pounced on a muffed punt in the end zone. Svenn Jacobson ran back a fumble 19 yards for a score. Alex Moore picked up a blocked punt and scrambled 20 yards to the house.

It all happened during a rain-soaked first half. Combined with Drew Hodge’s rushing and passing touchdowns in the second quarter, both set up by more Spruce Mountain miscues, it gave Greely a 33-7 Western Class B victory that was settled at halftime.

Spruce Mountain put the ball on the ground 13 times, losing six fumbles. In addition to the block, the Phoenix also turned the ball over deep in their own territory on a botched snap to the punter and threw an interception.

“We only have two guys that played at all last year,” first-year Spruce Mountain coach Walter Polky said. “We have a whole new team. It’s mental errors. You know how many turnovers the varsity had (in an exhibition game) against Leavitt? None.”

The giveaways sabotaged a night on which Spruce Mountain’s defense performed admirably.

Greely was held to 167 total yards and under 2.5 yards per rush. Josh Wilcox sacked Hodge twice. Brandon Hodges had an interception and a fumble recovery.

“They had us going the first couple series, but that’s what our offense does is we just keep on pounding,” Greely coach Dave Higgins said.

Spruce held Greely to minus-one net yards on a three-and-out to open the game. But the Phoenix failed to handle Pat Finnegan’s punt after making the initial contact with the ball.

Maynard covered it for six. Finnegan booted the extra point.

The Phoenix answered on their second series after Hodges pounced on a loose ball at the Greely 42. Sophomore quarterback Peter Theriault’s 33-yard ramble ended just shy of the pylon, setting up Brent Buote’s scoring dive. Hodges split the uprights to tie it.

Greely stripped the ball from Patrick Flanagan’s hands to set up the go-ahead score. Jacobson scooped up the remnants and raced to the end zone.

Maynard notched the second in his hat trick of takeaways to put Greely in business at the Spruce 45. Hodge snuck in from the 1 seven plays later for a 20-7 lead. Jacobson had a 24-yard run during the march.

“We played very well defensively. We played our regular style, an aggressive style,” Polky said. “I didn’t even have to blitz much. When they tried to run option I was like, ‘run more option.’ But that No. 7 (Maynard) over there, he’s a player and he has a quarterback that can throw it to him.”

Hodge hooked up with Maynard for an uncontested 12-yard TD, immediately after taking over on downs when punter Hodges’ knee touched the turf.

Moore’s recovery and run with the blocked punt completed the onslaught.

Greely ran only 17 plays and produced one first down in the second half. The Rangers already had done more than enough to avenge a 22-20 opening-night loss in Cumberland a year ago.

“It was a great game last year,” Higgins said. “They won by two points, but what we took from it is we came back and scored at the end. That’s what you want.”

Maynard added a second-half interception, one that was answered by Hodges inside the Greely 10.

Theriault rushed for 73 yards on 17 carries to lead the Phoenix, who played numerous freshmen and sophomores throughout the evening.

“The guys I brought in had never played on a Friday night before in their lives,” Polky said. “The one thing we had on our side that was good is we were physical still. We were physical the whole game.”

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