Maverick Miller (12), and Justin Hodge (3), celebrate after the Prospectors 46-6 win over Irrigon in their first home game of the season Thursday, Sept. 23.

JOHN DAY — After scoring on a fumble in the early going, Grant Union’s football team never looked back in a 46-6 shellacking of Irrigon in the squad’s first game at home on Thursday, Sept. 23.

The victory was a confidence booster for the Prospectors after a 51-26 loss to Lost River on Sept. 18.

Prospector Sheldon Lenz, a sophomore linebacker and running back who had several big hits and a touchdown, said the win will serve as a motivator as the team moves forward.

“It should be a good season,” he said.

For his part, Justin Hodge, Grant Union senior running back and linebacker, said the game was a lot of fun.

“Everybody knew what they were doing, and we all worked as a good team together.”

Indeed, the Prospectors came out of the gate hitting on all cylinders.

After a short possession on offense, the Pros defense stopped Irrigon and scored on a fumbled punt by that was picked up by Andrew Hunt within the first few minutes of the first quarter. Grant Union completed a 2-point conversion to go up 8-0.

With less than five minutes left in the period, Hodge scored a touchdown to put the Pros up 14-0.

At the 2½-minute mark, sophomore defensive back Talon VanCleave scored on an interception, and Lenz ran the ball into the Knights’ end zone for a 2-point conversion.

Hodge ran back a punt for a touchdown within the first couple of minutes of the second quarter.

Before the end of the first half, Irrigon’s Carson Parrish, a junior, scored the Knights’ only touchdown on an interception.

The Pros put 18 more points on the board with touchdowns from Hodge, Lenz and senior Tanler Fuller to close out the game.

Jason Miller, Grant Union’s football coach, said while the team is a great bunch of kids and he was proud of the win, the Pros still have things to work on in practice before they face Riverside in league play on Friday, Oct. 1.

“We have a lot more games to play and a lot more improvements to make,” Miller said.