Rolling Along: Big victory keeps Greenwood unbeaten

Greenwood’s much-anticipated Mid-State Conference matchup against visiting Plainfield didn’t live up to the hype Friday.

The host Woodmen made sure of that.

Greenwood, ranked seventh in Class 4A, parlayed two first-half fumbles into 10 points, built a commanding 24-0 halftime lead and cruised to a 31-3 league victory over the Quakers, ranked 15th in Class 4A, in front of a large homecoming crowd.

The win kept Greenwood unbeaten overall (5-0) and in Mid-State play (3-0), while Plainfield fell to 3-2 and 1-1. The Woodmen are off to their first 5-0 start since the 2003 team won its first 11 games.

“Plainfield’s got a great team, but we came out a lot harder,” said Woodmen senior defensive lineman Austin McFarland, whose fumble recovery on the second quarter’s first play led to an eventual Greenwood touchdown and a 17-0 lead.

“The turnovers were huge, and one (McFarland’s recovery) was in the red zone. Plays like that give you a big boost.”

The Woodmen’s previous score also came off a fumble recovery, by Ethan Bailey on the Quaker 21-yard line, with 5:27 remaining in the first quarter. Griffin Oakes’ 37-yard field goal gave Greenwood a 10-0 lead.

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