GRAFTON -- It was a long night for Grafton.
The Bearcats allowed 21 points in the first quarter before finally containing Tyler Consolidated's running game, but by that point, it was too late. The Knights went on to win, 46-20.
Tyler Consolidated's Matt Wright ran against the Bearcats at will, racking up 101 yards before being taken out of the game in the third quarter.
Wright scored three touchdowns, one coming on a 38-yard interception return to give the Knights a 40-6 lead in the third quarter.
"Tyler came out and was playing at warp speed in the first quarter," Grafton coach Mike Skinner said. "By the time we caught up it was 21-0. They came out in the second half and really put it away with those two touchdowns."
Grafton finally got on the board on an Andy Leach pass to Zach Scheme from 6 yards with 1:57 left in the half. Its final two touchdowns came in the fourth quarter on an 11-yard pass from Leach to Scheme and on a 5-yard run by James Willis.
Leach and Kevin Efaw were bright spots on the Grafton offense. Leach rushed for 40 yards on five carries and passed for 74 yards. Efaw rushed for 65 yards on 15 carries.
Tyler's Scott Maston passed for 66 yards. Zach Leasure ran for 44 yards on 10 carries, good enough for second on the Knights' rushing list behind Wright.
"We just got beat. We played a very good second quarter, but they came out in the second half and took control. They are a very good team, they just took it to us," Skinner said.
