Garrett Staley (52) and the Grace Rams won 15-0 over the South-Doyle Cherokees in a non-region matchup at Jerry Disney Family Sports Complex in Knoxville, Tennessee, on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020. (Photo by Danny Parker)
By JESSE SMITHEY
The pangs of a 54-point loss to South-Doyle in 2019 still resided in the psyche of Grace Christian defensive tackle Garrett Staley on Thursday night.
The senior remembered vividly how he felt walking off South-Doyle’s field in Week 2 last season.
“After that game, that was the biggest injury to my pride ever,” he said. “I’ve had some rough seasons, but that was the biggest pain I’ve ever felt. I remember walking back to that locker room not even crying. It wasn’t even a close loss. It was just a beat-down.
“So everybody came out for this game (tonight) — I know you’re not supposed to put these games higher than others — but this one was pretty high on the list. We were coming out. We weren’t going to lose — 100 percent, we were going to win.”
Not only did Grace not lose Thursday night, but they didn’t even allow a point.
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