The Delta Charter School offense lived up to its billing, scoring often and rather quickly at times.
But the Grant High School offense proved to be a level above.
The Cougars ran for 458 yards en route to spoiling the Storm’s home opener Friday night, winning 48-28.
“We tried to prepare them all week (for the run),” Delta Charter coach Zach Rogel said. “But you’ve got a couple of hoss daddys over there. They ran the ball hard, and they explode off the ball.
“That’s a well-coached ball club, and they executed well tonight.”
Grant asserted itself early, scoring touchdowns on each of its four possessions to take a 28-6 lead.
Delta Charter (1-2,), however, would not go away quietly.
The Storm scored on their next two possessions, including an 86-yard pass and run from Lee Lancaster to Dawson Woodruff, trimming the Cougars’ lead to 28-20 heading into halftime. Woodruff finished the game with six grabs for 170 yards and a score.
“You face a (LHSAA) 4A team and you’re a 1A school with your first senior class, this is a building block,” Rogel said. “I don’t like to lose, they don’t like to lose, but this is a building block.”
Lancaster connected with four separate teammates for touchdown strikes.
The senior quarterback hooked up with Drake Smith on a 30-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, and later found Trey Poole for a 17-yard catch and run in which Poole broke a number of tackles in slipping into the end zone. Dae’Vern Mays also hauled in an 11-yard score for the Storm late in the third quarter.
Lancaster completed 14 of 28 passes for 260 yards and four scores.
Delta Charter piled up 315 yards, while Grant managed to tally 498 yards.
“Our offense looked sharp,” Rogel said.  “We have playmakers, and we want to get the ball in their hands, and I think we did that.”
Momentum appeared to be on the Storm’s entering the third quarter, but the Cougars forced a safety on the second play from scrimmage.
The two squads exchanged scoring drives in the third period, before Grant pulled away in the fourth with a pair of touchdowns.
Strom athlete Freddie Mango carried seven times for 53 yards.
Delta Charter will attempt to get back on track next week when it travels to district rival Oak Grove.
“We’re going to find out what we’re all about,” Rogel said. “The way we respond, the way we come in and approach and how we prepare. We need to go out there be competitive and believe we belong in this league.”