By: Ed Weaver / September 26, 2026 / Photo: Dr. Robert Bair
Troy racked up nearly 500 yards of total offense, 488 to be exact, to roll past the Wellsboro Varsity Football team, 49-12, Friday night.
The Trojans, know for their mastery of the Veer Option and physical "ground and pound" style of play, took a different approach against the Hornets. They turned to their aerial game with QB Spencer Martin. While Martin only threw eight passes, he completed 7 of them for 241 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Troy struck on their opening drive, needing just five plays before Martin connected with Logunn Heasley on a 61-yard scoring strike just over the midway point of the opening quarter. A Hornet fumble on their ensuing drive led to another quick six for the Trojans. Jayden Kutt recovered the fumble at the Wellsboro one, then Evan Allen plunged into the end zone, putting the Trojans in front, 13-0.
Troy scored on their next drive after holding Wellsboro to four plays on offense as Martin threw his second TD of the evening, a three-yarder to Josiah Pesesky in the back right corner of the end zone, with 30 seconds left in the first quarter, increasing their lead to 20-0.
The Trojans picked up in the second quarter with two more scores, a 2-yard run by Kutt and then a 96-yard pitch and catch from Martin to Trey Teribury right before the half ended. Troy went for two following Teribury's reception, putting them comfortably in front, 35-0, and enacting the second half mercy rule.
Prior to Teribury's pass, the Hornets put together their best drive of the half. Runs from junior Reed Richardson in the "Wildcat' formation, and senior Max Mascho got the Hornets into the Troy red zone. Richardson started things off with a six-yard run before Mascho ripped off a 27-yarder to midfield. Richardson then broke free in the Troy secondary on a 42-yard run to the Troy 8. After getting hit with a false start penalty, sophomore Derrick Blasz connected with junior Kody Enck on a middle screen down to the three, setting up a 4th and goal. Richardson tried to fight his way into the end zone but was stopped a yard short.
Troy scored on their first drive of the second half after receiving the opening kickoff on a 22-yard run by Kutt before the Hornets erased the shutout and got on the scoreboard.
Wellsboro put together an 11-play drive that consumed over seven minutes of game clock. Blasz completed his first five passes on the drive, connecting with Enck, Mascho (twice), and senior Ethan Keane (twice) to work their way to the Troy 30-yard line. Wellsboro's first points of the night came four plays later as Blasz connected with sophomore Colton Hauser on a 15-yard touchdown pass, following a facemask penalty, with 1:51 left in the third.
Troy's final points came on the next drive as Lucas Kress scored from 19 yards out, pushing the score to 49-6 with 8:42 remaining.
Wellsboro scored on their final drive of the game, going 75 yards on 7 plays in 5:11. Runs by sophomore Mason Abplanalp and Hauser, passes to freshman Grady Morral and senior Wyatt Davenport moved the ball up to the Hornet 40. Back-to-back 8-yard runs by Abplanalp and Hauser moved the ball into Trojan territory, down to the 39, where Blasz found Morral behind the Troy secondary for the score.
Blasz finished 11-for-20 for 134 yards and 2 scores while Richardson amassed 81 yards on 9 totes, and Morral caught 2 passes for 45 yards to led Wellsboro. Richardson also added 10 tackles on defense. Mascho added 2 tackles and a sack and sophomore Christian Main had an interception.
Kutt finished with 51 yards on 9 carries to read the Troy ground attack while Teribury caught six passes for 185 yards.
The loss drops the Hornets to 1-4 (1-2 NTL Large School Division). The team will hit the road next Friday night when they take on the Athens Wildcats.