Grinstead a commanding presence for Johnstown football

JOHNSTOWN A small but dedicated group of seniors are hoping to guide the Johnstown football team back to prominence after an uncharacteristic down season in 2021.

One of those key cogs in the wheel is senior tight end and defensive end Garrett Grinstead. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Grinstead hardly came off the field in the Johnnies’ season-opening 42-21 loss at Licking Heights last Friday.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” Grinstead said. “These guys are grinders. We’re a younger team and don’t have as much experience. Our seniors are tight and we’re going to push this team to work harder, and we’re going to turn this season around.”

Others in that senior class include quarterback/linebacker Caleb Schneider, wingback/linebacker Spencer Thomson, receiver/defensive back Bryce Spangler, running back/safety Nathan Sheets, fullback/linebacker Graham Grinstead and two-way lineman Cooper Criner.

“All of our seniors are on the field like every single play,” Johnstown coach Mike Carter said. “Kudos to them being able to play that many snaps and give it all they’ve got every single play.”

Garrett Grinstead had two catches for 25 yards on offense and also recorded a team-best six tackles on defense against Heights.

“With Garrett, he is an exceptional athlete,” Carter said. “He makes very good plays. He’s a force. We are extremely proud of the way he plays and the type of person he is.”

With his size, Grinstead brings a physicality to the Johnnies' defense.

“I try and read my key, pursue to the ball, and I try to make every tackle,” Grinstead said. “I just try and help my team any way I can.”

Grinstead said he and his classmates are committed to being positive leaders for the underclassmen.

“We come in every day to practice and want to work hard and have a positive attitude,” he said. “Coach Carter does a great job of pushing us.

“We want to a building step for the younger guys," he added. "There are a couple of big classes coming up. We’re a small class with only seven seniors. We’re just trying to help and bring along that younger generation of Johnstown football.”

Johnstown has moved up from Division V to Division IV in Ohio High School Athletic Association classification this season. As always, the Johnnies are biting off quite a bit in the nonleague portion of the schedule, playing several larger schools.

That began with Heights, and next up is perennial Division IV playoff participant Waverly at home on Friday, and Granville, Licking Valley and Watkins Memorial are ahead. The explosive Tigers trailed Miami Trace 20-0 early and eventually used a late onside kick as a part of rallying for a 42-39 victory led by the passing of Mason Kelley and the running of Quinton Hurd.

“We’ve got a very tough schedule, but like we always say it’s not about them,” Carter said. “It’s about us. The thing I want to make sure I talked about with our kids is focusing on getting a little bit better every day. And make sure you get extremely good at the fundamentals of football.”

This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Garrett Grinstead a commanding presence for Johnstown football