Girard falls to Columbus in Mud Bowl

STAFF REPORTS

The Girard Trojans and Columbus Titans were in for a tough contest Friday, Sept. 16. Columbus handed Girard its second loss of the season with a score of 22-6.

The final score of this ball game was the same as the halftime score, as both teams’ defenses stepped up and made crucial plays to limit the opposing offense’s scoring opportunities.

Right off the bat, Columbus jumped on top with a 54-yard touchdown on a play-action pass that fooled the Trojan secondary. After the two-point conversion, Columbus went up 8-0.

On the next possession, the Trojan offense went three-and-out, but on the ensuing punt, the ball bounced off of an unknowing Columbus lineman and was recovered by the Trojans on the Titan’s 45-yard line.

During the fresh set of downs, on fourth and eleven, senior quarterback Eric Wilson made a crucial pass to fellow senior Shane Redfern to keep the drive alive. The drive was capped off with a one-yard touchdown run on fourth and goal by Wilson.

Two more Columbus touchdowns in the first half made the score 22-6 at the break.

After a long day of rain, Frank Jameson Field was asking to be torn up by the athletes. Mud and standing water covered the field, making the passing game harder for both offenses.

Both teams also had break-away runs that were slowed by the small amount of traction obtained in a field of slop.

In the second half, the Trojan defense stepped up, holding Columbus scoreless. Meanwhile, the Trojan offense consistently drove the ball down the field. However, penalties and turnovers prevented the Trojans from ever capping off another drive.

With the loss, Girard now sits at a 1-2 record. Columbus advanced to 3-0 with the win.

Girard will be taking on the 2-1 Galena Bulldogs at Galena Friday, Sept. 23, with a 7 p.m. kickoff. Galena is coming off of a 30-0 shutout win over Baxter and will pose another tough test for the young Trojans.