FREMONT – It was a picture-perfect Friday night at Don Paul Stadium as the Fremont Ross Little Giants opened the 2025 football season in front of a packed home crowd. In a game defined by tough defense and timely plays, the Little Giants held off visiting Tiffin Columbian to earn a hard-fought 13-9 victory on Senior Night.
Ross struck first late in the opening quarter when senior Stephen Reiter took a reverse handoff and dashed 11 yards into the end zone. Kicker Carson Lewis added the extra point to give the Little Giants a 7-0 lead after one.
Tiffin answered midway through the second quarter, putting together a six-play, 44-yard drive capped off by a one-yard touchdown run from Mason Seitz. The extra point knotted the game at 7.
With halftime approaching, Ross seized the momentum with a clutch scoring drive. Quarterback Breylan Garza led an 11-play, 59-yard march, capped by an 8-yard touchdown strike to Reiter with just two seconds remaining in the half. The blocked extra point left the Little Giants ahead 13-7 heading into the locker room.
The second half became a defensive struggle as both teams traded stops. Neither offense could break through, and the score held steady well into the fourth quarter. With just three minutes remaining and backed up against their own end zone, Ross elected to take a safety, narrowing the lead to 13-9 but flipping field position.
The strategy paid off. After Lewis boomed the ensuing free kick, Tiffin started on its own 35-yard line but stalled. The Tornadoes’ final drive ended with an incomplete pass on 4th-and-2 at Ross’ 18 yardline, handing possession back to the Little Giants with 40 seconds left. From there, Ross went into victory formation, sealing a gritty opening-night win.
The Little Giants (1-0) will look to build on their defensive effort as they continue the 2025 campaign next week at Sandusky.