Devils' skid hits 25

Grandview dealt Chaffee a 24-6 loss to open the season.

Moral victories are not what Chaffee football coach Charlie Vickery has in mind.

Despite the Red Devils' 24-6 loss Friday to Grandview at home -- the loss extended Chaffee's losing streak to 25 games -- Vickery would be hard-pressed not to see the improvement in his young squad.

"We played hard the whole way," Vickery said. "Nobody laid down, nobody quit. If we keep doing that every down we'll get better. We're just green. That's no excuse, but we'll get better."

Grandview beat Chaffee for the fourth straight year. The 18-point margin was the closest game Chaffee has played since a 15-6 loss to Grandview in the season opener in 2003.

On Friday, Chaffee's biggest weakness appeared to be on defense. The Red Devils simply had no answer for Grandview's running attack, as four running backs combined to rush for more than 400 yards. Grandview did not attempt a pass.

Much of the damage was done on the edge. Grandview almost ran exclusively to the outside, with Chaffee's interior defense holding up for the most part.

"We knew from watching their jamboree that we could get outside and control the game," Grandview coach Steve Nausley said.

Billy Langhans led Grandview with 222 yards rushing on 28 attempts. Eli Logsden added 113 yards on 13 carries, and quarterback Gary Britton rushed for 87 yards on 11 carries. Logsden rushed for two scores, and Langhans and Britton had a touchdown apiece.

Vickery said his team had opportunities to bring down Grandview's runners but did a poor job tackling.

"Lots of times we had people there; we just didn't tackle them," he said. "We just have to coach them to do a better job tackling."

Chaffee fans were treated to one of the top performances from a Red Devil running back in some time, as junior Kent Courtney had a stellar debut. In his first game in a Red Devil uniform, Courtney rushed for 150 yards on 25 carries. Courtney also scored the lone touchdown for Chaffee.

"This was the first time he's played," Vickery said of Courtney. "He's just going to keep getting better and better as he goes. He was close to breaking a few tonight, he was very close. Once he gets some experience he'll break some big plays."

Grandview scored three times in the first half, getting two scores from Logsden and one from Britton. Chaffee looked like it would go into the half scoreless until Courtney finished off a long drive with a four-yard score with 58 seconds remaining in the half to make it 18-6.

Langhans did the only scoring in the second half with a 23-yard run in the last minute of the fourth quarter.

Chaffee had two long drives halted at Grandview's 10-yard-line. Two more promising Red Devil drives in the fourth quarter were ended on interceptions.

"We moved the ball well, we just have to learn to stick it into the endzone," Vickery said.

Jeff Daugherty completed nine of 19 passes for 79 yards. Geoff Mirly led Chaffee with five receptions for 55 yards.

Chaffee will host Corning (Ark.) next Friday and plays its next two games at home after filling its stands for the home opener.

"We're disappointed we lost, we're not looking for moral victories, but we're going to stay in there and fight and get better as we go not doubt in my mind," Vickery said. "We're going in the right direction. I don't think there's any question we're going in the right direction, and we will get it turned around."