Troy Overpowers Bedford On Their Way To Eastern Semi-Finals
Tagged under: District 4, District 5, Gameday Hub, News, Playoffs
Ed Weaver | November 23, 2024
Three yards and a cloud of dust. That has been the Troy Trojans’ modus operandi for years, however the last couple years the Torjans’ offense has been known for the “home run” play. Last night in their 42-16 win over Bedford, Troy’s offense went back to their smash mouth football roots. Of their six scoring drives on the evening, only two of them lasted for three plays.
“We wanted to come in a be physical,” head coach Jim Smith said. “We wanted to win the turnover battle, and we did on defense, and we didn’t turn it over on offense. That’s the main thing, we didn’t make mistakes and do what we do.”
Troy went three and out on the game’s opening drive. They then sustained Bedford’s Quincy Swaim’s early attempts at breaking down their defense. Swaim moved the Bisons down into Troy territory on a 33-yard run, but was intercepted by Joseph Frye three plays later to end the scoring threat. That interception sparked Troy’s offense to roll off 42 straight points.
“Turnovers are huge,” continued Smith. “To come away with a pick then have a multiple-play possession and score that set the tone for us. We told the kids all week that Bedford is a team that doesn’t give up points. They pursue to the ball, they’re extremely fast, they’re good tacklers, hard to trick, so the fancy stuff was out. We figured really early on after they blew up some of our fancier stuff so we said we’re bigger than them and stronger than them so let’s exert ourselves and go win this thing. That’s what we did and I’m proud of how the kids did it.”
Following the interception the Trojans put together a 12-play drive that ended with QB Evan Woodward running in from a yard out with 1:14 remaining in the opening quarter. On their third drive of the game Troy needed nine plays to find the end zone again, highlighted by a 42-yard Woodward run. With 6:23 remaining in the half Mason Smith connected with Lincoln Chimics on a 15-yard halfback pass to put Troy up 14-0.
After Bedford went three-and-out on their ensuing drive the Trojans offense went back to work and added another score before the half expired. Their nine-play, 50-yard drive culminated with a Brendan Gilliland 11-yard run with 55 seconds left on the clock to push Troy’s lead to 21-0.
Once the second half resumed Gilliland and Troy struck again. The 6-foot, 195 lb. junior broke off a 52-yard run on their third play of the drive to increase the lead to 28-0. Their next scoring drive lasted only five plays in which Woodward ran in from 15 yards away to make it a 35-point spread and enact the mercy rule midway through the third.
Bedford’s next drive ended the way their first one did, on an interception. This time, Ben Warburton stepped in front of Swaim’s pass and returned it into Bedford’s side of the field. Three plays later, following a 38-yard pass from Woodward to Frye, Kael Millard bulldozed his way into the end zone from 3 yards out to put Troy up 42-0.
Bedford scored twice in the fourth quarter to avoid the shut out, one on a 16-yard run by Andrew Evans, and the second on a 16-yarder by Gabriel Taylor.
Troy faces the winner of today’s Riverside/Williams Valley matchup at a site, date and time to be determined.
Photo courtesy Logan Hill / Towanda Daily Review
Follow PA Football News on Twitter @PaFootballNews
