For most of Thursday night at Happy State Bank Stadium, Gruver looked like a team ready to rewrite last year’s semifinal script. The Greyhounds dominated nearly every statistical category, controlled the pace, and executed their game plan with poise. But football often comes down to a handful of moments, and in this rematch with defending champion Muenster, those pivotal breaks went the other direction. Despite a determined effort, Gruver fell 21–18, ending its bid for a trip to Arlington and a shot at the Class 2A Division II state title.
From the start, Gruver proved it belonged on this stage. The Greyhounds not only matched Muenster’s physicality—they outgained the Hornets 315–251, ran 20 more plays, and created more first downs. They also won the turnover battle, thanks in part to a standout performance from sophomore linebacker Bo Cowan, who recovered three fumbles. In just about every category except the scoreboard, Gruver held the advantage.
The night’s first blow came against the run of play when the Greyhounds fumbled deep in Muenster territory, and the Hornets returned it 80 yards for the opening score. Gruver responded immediately with its big-play passing game, as quarterback Briggs Satterfield found Brock Butler for a 57-yard strike. Early in the second quarter, the same duo connected again from 28 yards out, giving Gruver a 12–7 lead. Butler proved nearly uncoverable, finishing with five catches for 114 yards.
Still, missed extra-point opportunities loomed large. Two failed conversions kept Gruver from building separation, and Muenster eventually punched in a short touchdown run late in the half to take a 14–12 lead into the locker room.
The third quarter belonged to the Greyhounds. Satterfield and running back Dax Conyers fueled a determined ground attack, consistently finding creases after some mid-game adjustments to the blocking scheme. Conyers finished with a game-high 126 rushing yards, and Gruver’s best drive of the night ended with Satterfield muscling in from a yard out to take an 18–14 lead.
Defensively, Gruver tightened the screws, forcing a three-and-out and a fumble on Muenster’s first two possessions of the second half. When the Greyhounds marched inside the red zone early in the fourth quarter, they appeared on the verge of seizing full control. But a fourth-down pass fell just out of reach, leaving Muenster within striking distance.
That missed opportunity became the turning point. Moments later, Muenster finally notched its first second-half first down—and made it count. A breakdown in the secondary allowed a Hornets receiver to slip behind the defense for a 71-yard touchdown, flipping the score and the momentum with just over nine minutes remaining.
Gruver mounted one final push, grinding inside the Muenster 35. But negative plays derailed the drive, and a slip in the backfield on fourth down forced a turnover on downs. Muenster sealed the outcome with a long third-down run, ending Gruver’s hopes of a last-minute comeback.
For Gruver, the loss stings not because of effort but because of how close the team came to flipping the story. The Greyhounds outplayed the defending champs for long stretches, showed major growth from last year’s meeting, and proved they could stand toe-to-toe with one of the state’s toughest small-school programs. The scoreboard may not have reflected it, but Gruver’s performance showed a program trending upward—built on toughness, improvement, and the kind of resolve that tends to carry over into future seasons.
