Gans improved to 10-1 for the season with its seventh consecutive win and second this year over Watts. The Grizzlies will play at defending Class B state champion Morrison next Friday night.
Watts (5-6) went on offense first Friday night, and on third down Kyle Shoup of the Grizzlies recovered an Engineer fumble at the Watts' 36. An 11-yard completion from quarterback Nick Woodruff to end Eual Knapp took the Grizzlies to the 25, and five plays later tailback Heath Branham crossed the goal line from the 5.
On the Engineers' second offensive snap after the touchdown, quarterback Ray Ward was sacked for a 13-yard loss, and on fourth down Branham returned the Watts' punt 10 yards to the Gans' 43. A 10-yard reception by running back Jake Knapp moved the Grizzlies into Watts' territory at the 43, and on third down Knapp ran 39 yards into the end zone from his fullback position. Branham's conversion carry with 4:33 left in the period gave the Grizzlies a 14-0 advantage.
Ward threw an 8-yard pass to running back Filberl Labitad before the quarterback kept the ball for a 2-yard gain as Watts recorded its initial first down of the game with 2:25 remaining. An 11-yard reception by end Lee Blackwell moved the Engineers to the Gans' 47, and on the next play Ward carried for six yards. Eual Knapp stopped Labitad for a 1-yard gain to finish the first period, and on fourth-and-5 from the 31, defensive back Kyle John ended the scoring threat when he intercepted a pass near the 15-yard line.
On second down after the interception, Watts recovered a Gans' fumble, but the Grizzlies' defense held and forced the Engineers to punt.
Gans drove to the Watts' 33 on its next offensive series, but the Grizzlies couldn't convert a fourth-down play with 4:37 to go before the half. Eual Knapp picked off a pass after Ward was pressured by John, and on second down Woodruff tossed a 21-yard touchdown pass to end Cameron Pastore.
Blackwell caught a 32-yard pass after the Pastore score, but the visitors eventually punted on fourth down from their 35 with just under three minutes left in the second quarter.
Receptions of 29 and 10 yards by Eual Knapp took the Grizzlies to the Watts' 16, and on fourth down Jake Knapp completed an 8-yard pass to Pastore for a first down at the 3. Jake Knapp capped the scoring drive with his 1-yard run, and his conversion carry gave the Grizzlies a 28-0 lead.
Shoup intercepted a Watts' pass to end the half after the Engineers threw two laterals back and forth across the field before throwing the ball down the field.
After receiving the second-half kickoff, the Grizzlies wasted little time in adding to their advantage. Running back Donnie Alls raced 56 yards for a touchdown with less than two minutes gone in the period to make the score 34-0.
Hatch Evans of Gans ended the Engineers' first offensive series of the second half when he recovered a fumble at the Watts' 21. Three plays later the Engineers got on the scoreboard when Chooch Daugherty returned an interception 78 yards for a touchdown, and Ward threw to Blackwell for the conversion.
After a 27-yard punt by Gans' Joe Grooms, Harvell and Eual Knapp tackled Ward for a 10-yard loss. The Engineers couldn't overcome the sack, and on fourth down Watts punted to its 34.
An 18-yard run by Alls moved the Grizzlies to the 13, and three plays later Jake Knapp crossed the goal line from the 9 with 1:04 to go in the third stanza.
Watts recorded its final touchdown of the night with less than three minutes remaining when Blackwell ran for a 4-yard TD, and Labitad carried for the conversion.
On the ensuing kickoff, Zac Whittman of Gans fell on the onside kick, and Grooms, the Grizzlies' reserve quarterback, ran 30 yards on first down. After Gans quick-kicked to the Watts' 7, Harvell intercepted a pass, and Grooms took a knee to end the game.
Alls was the game's leading rusher with 107 yards on eight carries, and Jake Knapp added 75 yards on seven tries for the Grizzlies. Branham ran for 70 yards on 17 attempts. Grooms ran four times for 21 yards and Nick Guard had seven carries for 15 yards.
Labitad topped the Engineers with 14 yards on five tries, and thanks to several sacks by the Gans' defense, Watts had minus 20 yards rushing on 23 carries.
Woodruff completed 6-of-14 passes for 87 yards, and Eual Knapp (50 yards) and Pastore (35) each caught three passes.
Ward completed 11-of-30 passes for 179 yards, and Blackwell had eight receptions for 131 yards.
The Grizzlies intercepted four passes in the game and recovered two fumbles. John, Eual Knapp, Shoup and Harvell each picked off a throw, and Shoup and Evans recovered a fumble apiece.
Friday's triumph pushed the Grizzlies into the second round of the playoffs for the third time in as many years, but the previous playoff wins were in Class C.
