Geoff Mott
Sports Scene
SWAN VALLEY — In top-ranked Swan Valley’s 4-0 start to the football season, junior running back Alex Grace is good for nine and a half yards every time he takes a handoff.
After rushing for more than 2,000 yards as a sophomore, the 6’1″, 205-pounder has returned stronger, faster, and more agile, and it shows, as he’s rushed 100 times for 948 yards and 13 touchdowns.
He opened the season with 202 yards on 29 carries and three touchdowns against powerful Nouvel Catholic Central and followed with nine carries for 145 yard and two touchdowns in an easy win over Shepherd. He blasted rival Freeland in a 29-19 win with 337 yards on 38 carries and four touchdowns and scored four more touchdowns with 264 rushing yards on 24 carries in a win at Ovid-Elsie.
“It all starts up front,” Grace said after beating Freeland and eclipsing his past personal best of 303 yards rushing in a game. “The offensive line did an excellent job of making holes. We keep motivating ourselves to do better.”
While Swan Valley enjoys the No. 1 ranking in the Associated Press Division 4 prep poll, the Vikings know that they’re a weekly target.
“This is a pretty amazing [start to the season] because we have big wins over Nouvel and Freeland,” Grace said. “But we’re not letting that ranking get to our heads.”
Grace is on pace for a near 3,000-yard season if the Vikings have a playoff run like last year’s trip to the state semifinals, which ended a loss to Detroit Country Day. With another big season as a senior – and good health – Grace could make a run for a top five finish in career yardage in the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s record books. Fellow Tri-Valley Central running back Chris Robinson (Ovid-Elsie, 2006-09) ranks No. 4 all-time with 7,123 rushing yards.
“We’ve done about all we can do against him,” Freeland coach Kevin Townsend said of Grace. “Good luck to anyone who can slow him down. He falls forward on every run. He’s fast, he’s strong, and they have strength in that offense line. They beat us up front.”
Ben Finzel has added 109 rushing yards for Swan Valley while Hunter Wunderle has 102 rushing yards, including a 93-yard touchdown run. Quarterback Nick Call is 13 of 30 passing for 202 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.