The Battle of the Wildcats lived up to its name Friday night, as Gregory-Portland and Calallen opened the season with a high-energy clash packed with big plays, momentum swings, and plenty of noise from the stands.
Gregory-Portland struck first after an early interception set up quarterback Carter Dominguez Jr., who called his own number and punched in a touchdown to give GP a 7-0 lead.
Calallen wasted no time responding. Quarterback Connor Klostermann broke free on a long touchdown run, tying the game at 7. But a miscue on special teams cost Calallen, as Gregory-Portland earned a safety and later added a field goal to take a 12-7 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Klostermann answered again early in the second, capping off a strong drive with another rushing score to put Calallen back on top, 14-12. The momentum, however, wouldn’t stay long. GP running back Cody Adame broke a big run deep into Calallen territory, setting up Dominguez for his second touchdown of the night and a 19-14 lead.
Special teams struggles continued to haunt Calallen. Another mishap resulted in a second safety, giving GP a 21-14 advantage and the ball back. Dominguez wasted no time capitalizing, scoring his third touchdown of the half to extend Gregory-Portland’s lead to 28-14 at halftime.
Gregory-Portland’s offense continued to score in the second half, and it was enough for them to win this year’s rivalry game, 49-21.
