by Anthony Robinson

The Trojan football team out-gained the Titans 214-203 on the ground, 129-9 through the air, and had 12 more first downs, at Lewis Central last Friday night. Despite out-gaining the Titans in every offense category, the Trojans lost by seven points, 17-10.

For the fourth time this season, the Trojans had a chance to win the game on their final drive, gaining possession of the ball with less than three minutes to play. Friday, Atlantic got the ball on their own 20 with 1:54 left, no timeouts, and trailing by seven points. Senior Ethan Westering came up with a huge catch-and-run worth 20 yards to get the Trojans started.

But on first down from midfield, junior quarterback Harrison Hoegh’s pass was picked off by linebacker Derek Jenkins, sealing the win for the Lewis Central on the blustery October night.

The Trojans looked determined to move the ball against the Lewis Central Titans from the start. Senior Gunnar Blum broke out two runs covering 50 yards before the Trojans were stopped on fourth down at the Titan 31.

Blum ended the game with 168 yards on 22 carries, including one touchdown.

After the Lewis Central stop, Titan junior quarterback Alex Reed had a run of more than 50 yards before getting across the goal line on a four-yard keeper, to put the Titans up early, 7-0.

Reed had 103 yards rushing in the first quarter. The Trojans defense held him to only 80 yards in the final three quarters of play.

“I thought coach Ross’ plan on defense was solid. (Reed) broke loose a few times. (He’s) real shifty, he can put the brakes on, change direction, and stop and start as fast as anyone we will play. He showed that in the open field,” head coach Tim Duff said after the game. “When we got white jerseys on him, I thought (our defense) tackled well. We knew we weren’t going to stop him, but we were hoping to contain him.”

Fourteen seconds into the second quarter, the Titans put the ball across the goal line for the second time to go up 14-0 after a rushing touchdown by Sam Duggan.

After a punt by Lewis Central at the 9:15 mark in the second, the Trojans took the ball down field before Blum got across the goal line on a two-yard run to pull the boys in white back within a touchdown: 14-7 with 4:37 left in the first half.

Immediately after the score, the Trojans stopped the Titans, three-and-out, forcing them to punt into the strong wind. The punt only went nine yards, giving Atlantic the ball in Titan territory with an opportunity to tie the game before the break.

On their first drive of the second half, Lewis Central could smell the goal line, but junior Stuart Hoegh made an athletic interception in the endzone to spoil the Titans’ chances of taking a two-score lead.

Atlantic was held to three-and-out on their next offense possession, wasting a valuable opportunity to use momentum from the interception.

Titan Miguel Ramos kicked a 28-yard field goal to extend the Lewis Central lead to 10 with 7:17 to play in the third quarter.

In the fourth, the Trojans were knocking on the door after a 47-yard run by Blum, on fourth down, put the Trojans with a first down and goal from the LC 6.

The Trojans got to the goal line and tried to catch the Lewis Central defense napping by running a quick sneak, but the Trojans fumbled the snap and did not get any points.

“The fumble on the goal line (is) on me as a coach. I thought we could get a quick snap, but on the rush we fumbled the snap,” coach Duff said. “As a coaching staff, we’ve got to do a better job of getting the play in and then making sure we punch the ball (across the goal line).”

Markham hit a 27-yard field goal with 4:55 remaining for the final score of the game.

The Trojans end the season with two games at home. Atlantic faces Carroll next week (Oct. 14) and Red Oak the following week (Oct. 21).

“(The team) had aspirations and dreams to get in the playoffs and now we have to turn things around and get ready for Carroll and Red Oak,” coach Duff said.