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Photo by John Wagner

The Grizzlies have suffered some bad losses in their short history, but this one was different.

This one was against a team the Grizzlies had every reason to expect a victory — or at least a close game.

But the previously winless San Angelo Stampede-Express found their offensive rhythm in the second half, while the Grizzlies couldn’t overcome their own mistakes. The end result: yet another rout as San Angelo claimed a 53-37 win Saturday at the Carlson Center.

“I’m frustrated,” Fairbanks coach John Fourcade said. “I thought we’d do better. I thought we would beat these guys. But let’s give them credit, the best team out there won.”

More than anything, the Grizzlies (1-7) got in their own way. They had trouble getting set out of the huddle on offense, had one blown coverage after another on defense and couldn’t hang onto the ball when they needed to.

“I have no answers any more for what’s going on,” Fourcade said. “We were good in practice this week; then the game comes and they’re not there.”

While the Grizzlies struggled at game time, San Angelo’s Davon Vinson and his revamped offense didn’t, tallying eight touchdowns through the air.

“It feels great,” said Vinson, whose eight scores were the most in his arena career. “This is the third game this unit has played together, and as you can see, we’re coming together.”

On offense, Fairbanks also struggled to overcome Solomon Jones’ first bad game in a Grizzlies uniform.

Jones, who has made a name for himself in Fairbanks’ inaugural campaign as one of the top receivers in the league, had five drops and a costly fumble.

“Nobody’s perfect out there in this game,” quarterback Damion Ward said. “It’s how you bounce back that makes champions.”

After Fairbanks took a six-point lead into halftime, San Angelo (1-6) came out as the better team in the second half.

It took Vinson just two plays to pull the Stampede-Express back in front after the break, connecting on one of his four scoring strikes to Tavarres Williams.

But Fairbanks had a golden opportunity to answer right back.

Ward found Jones on an 8-yard out route and the wideout made two defenders miss, leaving nothing but green in front of him.

Then he lost the ball.

Sprinting along the right boards, Jones, who finished with 13 receptions for 120 yards, simply lost his grip on the ball and San Angelo recovered, scoring off a blown coverage two plays later for a 32-24 lead.

Ward’s 12-yard touchdown run would pull Fairbanks back within one, but their offense struggled the rest of the way.

A second half that saw nothing go right for the home team was summed up nicely following Vinson’s second of three touchdown passes to Anthony Perine.

Jones took the ensuing kickoff 6 yards deep in the Grizzlies end zone, fumbling the ball once trying to catch it then a second time after seeming to secure his own fumble. By the time Jones got control of the football, the San Angelo defenders were on top of him, stacking him up in the end zone for one point.

“Most of the guys here are learning as we go,” said Ward, who was 29-of-45 for 269 yards, two scores and one interception in his second game filling in for injured starter Bo Bartik.

The Grizzlies were beset by injuries in the second half, with defensive backs Marcellus Carrington and Justin Ferringer and lineman Augustine Nepo all sent to the sidelines.

But Fourcade said his team couldn’t use that as an excuse.

“We had a few injuries, but as a team, we didn’t execute one bit in the second half,” he said. “We don’t have a lot of the players we should have. The guys we have give it all they’ve got, but they just don’t understand the game.”

The Grizzlies came out strong in the first half behind the strong arm of Ward. In just his second arena start, the quarterback threw for two touchdowns in the first half, both to Anthony Parks, and led two more scoring drives as Fairbanks took a 24-18 lead into the break.

Used to playing catchup early and often, Fairbanks led for all but a few minutes during the first two quarters.

The Stampede-Express took the lead for the first time in the second quarter when Vinson hit Williams for their second scoring connection of the night. Williams beat his defender on a post route then leaped at the goal line to bring in Vinson’s overthrown pass for an 18-17 San Angelo lead.

It turned out to the rule, not the exception, in one of the Grizzlies toughest losses yet.

“It’s really frustrating,” lineman Jay Fulk said. “You can’t let it get you down. We have three more home games in a row to get us back in the playoff hunt. You just can’t get down.”