Trojans Rack Up Over 600 Yards Of Offense To Overpower Wellsboro

By: Ed Weaver  /  October 4, 2024  /  Photo: Dr. Robert Bair

The Troy Trojans amassed over 600 yards of total offense as they steamrolled past Wellsboro 50-20 on Friday, October 4.

Troy scored on their first five of six first-half offensive drives as they accumulated 436 yards of offense.

Evan Woodward put the Trojans up just over two and a half minutes as he capped a 5-play, 74-yard drive on a 9-yard run into the end zone. On their next drive, Woodward hit Lincoln Chimics on a 42-yard pass to increase the lead to 14-0 with 5:20 remaining in the opening frame.

Troy scored to open the 2nd quarter on an 80-yard run by Mason Smith to push the lead to 21-0, then added another score just over a minute later as Woodward and the Trojan offense executed a well-time shovel pass to Reed Palmer. Palmer went 45 yards to push the lead to 27-0 after a missed extra point. Troy later closed out the half as Gavin Lykon-Leffler drilled a 35-yard field goal to give the Trojans a 30-0 lead at halftime.

After holding the Hornets on downs the Trojans struck again to open the second half scoring. For the 2nd time on the night, Woodward and Chimics connected, this time from 46 yards out to push the lead to 37-0.

Wellsboro's offense finally got in gear in the 3rd. Following Troy's touchdown the Hornets put together an 8-play, 47 yard drive that ate up 6:24 of game clock, and culminated in a 36 yard reception by junior Jonathan Carl from freshman Griffin Morral with 3:03 remaining in the quarter. Carl made the extra point to bring the point spread back down to 30, despite the running clock.

Troy answered back immediately on their next drive after Brendan Gilliland returned Carl's kick for 22 yards out to their own 45. Four plays later, on 4th and 2, Noah Ellis broke free on a 47-yard run with 34 seconds left in the third.

Wellsboro then scored back-to-back touchdowns in the 4th quarter, on 11-yard and 12-yard runs. Freshman Kody Enck scored from 11 yards out with 7:27 left in the game, then junior Dylan Copp scored on their ensuing drive with 1:46 remaining on a 12-yard run.

Troy did add one final score before the scoreboard clock hit 0. After Wellsboro's final score, freshman QB Spencer Martin called his own number on an option play, and out-raced the Hornet defense on a 74-yard score.

Woodward finished with 253 yards on 11-of-16 passing and 3 touchdowns, two of them caught by Chimics, who led all receivers with 5 catches for 136 yards. Mason Smith led Troy's ground game with 101 yards on just three carries while Gilliland finished with 90 yards on 5 attempts.

Morral finished 6-of-14 for 62 yards in the air, after only throwing for 6 yards in the first half. Knapp and senior Ryder Bowen both led Wellsboro's receiving corps with two catches each, while Carl led in yardage with 36. Bowen led Wellsboro's ground game with 167 yards on 20 carries. Enck also ran the ball 7 times for 20 yards and a score. Bowen made 6 tackles defensively to lead Wellsboro while Enck and sophomore Levi Champaign had 4 tackles each. Morral and Copp each recovered Troy fumbles and freshman Gavin Carson forced a fumble.

Eason Teribury (8), Jack Burbage and Roland Smith (5 tackles each) led Troy's defense, with Gilliland also forcing a fumble.

The win runs the Trojans' win streak to 7 straight, and keeps them perfect in the NTL Large School Division standings (6-0). They face North Penn-Mansfield on the road next Friday.

The loss drops Wellsboro to 1-6 overall and 1-5 in the NTL Large School Division. The Hornets are on the road the next two weeks, traveling to Canton on the 11th and Northwest Area on the 18th, before their season finale with rival North Penn-Mansfield for the Morton F. Jones Memorial Trophy.