GLENVILLE &045; When the Glenville-Emmons football team visited Hills-Beaver Creek last year, the Wolverines were sent home with a 51-6 loss to the eventual conference champion Patriots.

It was much different this time.

The surprising Wolverines gave the Patriots all they could handle before falling 13-6 in the 2003 season opener at Glenville Thursday night.

&uot;We kind of used that 51-6 loss as a building point,&uot; said Wolverines co-head coach Al Christenson. &uot;For a squad of 25 guys playing the two-time defending conference champs, it was a big improvement.&uot;

The Wolverines came up with a big goal-line stand in the first half, which was scoreless until the final minutes. On the final play of the first quarter, with the ball on the Wolverines’ 2-yard line, Erik

Nelson sacked quarterback Curt Schilling for a 9-yard loss on third down. The Wolverines also stopped the Patriots on fourth down.

The teams traded fumbles late in the first half, with Kris Knutson recovering for the Wolverines.

They capitalized with a 20-yard touchdown pass from Mike Yocom to Tony Walk, and G-E led 6-0 at halftime as the PAT run was stopped.

Schilling scored on a 1-yard run in the third and the Patriots kicked the PAT for the lead.

The visitors’ other touchdown, a 6-yard run by Zach Wysong, came late in the fourth quarter.

Knutson led the Wolverines in rushing with 58 yards. Walk gained 36.

Leading the defense were Knutson with 11 tackles and Derek Lau with 7 1/2 tackles.

&uot;The kids really hit hard,&uot; said Christenson. &uot;Their coach really complimented our kids. He said they hadn’t been hit that hard in a long time. Our tackles were distributed very well throughout the team and we did not give up any long plays. Defensively, we felt we played very, very well.&uot;

The Wolverines are on the road this Friday to face perennial power LeRoy-Ostrander.