Trojans upset Titans

 

STAFF REPORTS

The Trojans shocked a lot of high school football fans around southeast Kansas on Friday night, when they defeated the Columbus Titans 28-24 in Girard.

The game was the 4A DII Regional Championship and marked the first round of the playoffs for both squads.

Entering the game, Girard was sitting at a 4-5 record, while Columbus came in as the favorite at 8-1.

On the opening drive, Girard quarterback Eric Wilson scrambled for a 41-yard run to put the Trojans at the Titans’ 11-yard line.

Wilson soon punched in a one-yard touchdown run to finish the drive. Girard was up 8-0, after a successful two-point conversion.

The Trojan defense held strong through the first quarter, but the offense was forced to punt on the next possession as well.

Early in the second, the Columbus quarterback dropped back to pass on a crucial third down. Girard linebacker Isaiah Fisher threw up his hands to bat the ball down, but ended up coming down with the ball in his grasp, picking off the pass. Fisher returned the interception 30 yards for a Trojan touchdown. After converting another 2-point play, Girard held a 16-0 lead early in the second.

Columbus soon responded, scoring on an 11-yard touchdown run midway through the second. The score now sat at 16-8 in Girard’s favor.

Girard held this lead through the quarter and headed into the locker room at halftime eight points ahead of the 8-1 Titans.

Midway through the third, Columbus struck again with a 36-yard touchdown run and two-point conversion to tie the game at 16-a-piece.

On the very next Girard possession, the Trojan offense found the endzone. The drive was highlighted by a deep ball from Wilson to fellow senior Shane Redfern.

Wilson lobbed the ball downfield on a crucial third down, being hit as he threw. Redfern faked a short hitch route and sped by his defender. As the ball neared the senior receiver, he went up strong and came down with a game-defining grab to keep the Trojan drive alive.

The drive was capped off shortly after when Wilson scrambled and found Redfern again in the back of the endzone for a 14-yard touchdown pass.

After the first failed two-point play of the night, Girard led 22-16.

On the ensuing Titan possession, Columbus again punched in a four-yard touchdown. A successful two-point play put the Titans up 24-22 with just over a minute left in the third.

In the fourth quarter, the Trojans would be the only team to find the scoreboard.

With only a few minutes remaining, Wilson ran the ball around the left side for a 15-yard touchdown. Another unsuccessful two-point play followed, but Girard now held a 28-24 lead.

On the next drive, the Trojan defense contained the Titans’ offensive weapons.

All night long, Jordan Hopson, Austin Lallemand, Chaise Bryant and Carter Doherty had found a way to overpower the Titans’ offensive lineman. This defensive line proved to be the defining factor in a very hostile environment.

With two minutes to play, Columbus faced a fourth-and-long. In the obvious passing situation, the Trojan secondary played close to 15 yards off the line of scrimmage.

As the Columbus quarterback rolled out and looked to throw to his open receiver, Fisher flew into the backfield, threw up his arms again and swatted the ball to the ground. Fisher and the Trojan defense had held strong.

Now, the Girard offense had the ball in Titan territory with under two minutes to play.

The Columbus defense gambled on the first three plays, as Girard ran the ball attempting to run out the clock. Columbus linebackers were soon in the backfield to chase down Trojan ball carriers and ended all three plays behind the line of scrimmage.

After each play, the Columbus coaching staff called timeouts to stop the clock.

On fourth down, Coach Leon Miller elected to have his offense go for it. He put the ball in the hands of Wilson on a rollout pass to the right side. Looking downfield, Wilson found Redfern on an out-route, just beyond the first-down marker. The pass was complete and the gamble paid off, effectively ending the Titans season.

With Columbus out of timeouts, the next play featured Wilson taking a knee, ending the game and sealing the upset win for the Trojans.

The team, coaches and crowd erupted as the clock ticked to zero. Immediately following the trophy presentation, the crowd stormed the field to congratulate the hometown Trojans.

The environment at Frank Jameson Field on Friday night is what high school football is all about. The community created the perfect hostile environment that favored the Trojans all night long.

Girard improved to 5-5 with the win and are regional champions. The Trojans will continue their playoff run this Friday, Nov. 11, as they head to Topeka-Hayden.

Many Girard fans will recognize the name Hayden, as they were the Trojans’ foe during the Girard state basketball run in the late 2000’s. The school’s volleyball team also defeated the Lady Trojans in the state tournament this season.

The Trojan football team will look to continue their run at state, looking for a win on Friday night.