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The Trojans survive a ridiculous 163 yards of penalties and a 45 minute lightening delay to get the road win at Middle Creek. Nearly 4 hours to complete, the Trojans hold the Mustangs on a critical late 4th down to put the game away. Junior Josh Brooks returns to action with 2 touchdown catches and 59 yards receiving. The Mustangs test the Garner secondary all night, with 44 passes and just 15 running plays. The Trojans defensive front of Chaz Damon, Aston Anglin-Stone and Brian Watkins were stalwarts, holding the Mustangs to just 19 yards rushing.
The Mustangs get on the board first, driving 89 yards in 9 plays on their opening series, with Marvin Mackey scoring on a 37 yard pass from Garrett Leatham. Garner answers on the ensuing possession. The Trojans start on their own 18, BG Howell hits Jeremy Conyers on a 5 yard swing pass and Connor McLaurin bulls his way for 5 yards and the first down. Conyers dashes for 6 but a Trojan penalty makes it 2nd and 10. Conyers makes a bruising run for 7 and get the first down on a Mustang offside. Conyers takes an end-a-round for 4 and a Middle Creek personal foul moves the ball to 39. McLaurin breaks off a 17 run. After the teams trade penalties (a recurring them of the night) Howell hits Brooks for 25 yards down to the one. Jeremiah Davis punches it in but the kick fails and its 7-6 Middle Creek.
The Mustangs gamble from 4th and 2 on their next series from their own 36. The Leatham incompletion gives the Trojans the ball at 4:19 in the quarter. The stadium was alerted there was lightening in the area and play is suspended for just over 45 minutes. Fortunately, no weather materializes in Apex and play resumes at 8:45PM. On the Trojans first play, Howell hits McLaurin on a screen and he takes it 33 yards to the Middle Creek 3. Conyers pushes it to the one and McLaurin bulls in from one yard out for a 12-7 Trojan lead, their first of the season.
The teams trade two consecutive series with penalty filled series without first downs. A tremendous Howell 57 yard punt that would have pinned the Mustangs at their five is called back for a Garner penalty. Leatham is shaken up on their next possesion bringing in Middle Creek backup QB Matt Drisko but Brian Watkins nails him for a big 12 yard sack.
The Mustang punt gives Garner the ball at 6:03 in the second at their own 46. Davis gains 10 on two carries and Howell hits Ian Hunter to the Middle Creek 34. After McLaurin picks up 5, Howell hooks up with Brooks from 29 yards out for the score and an 18-7 Trojan lead. Leatham re-enters the game and Middle Creek moves the ball to the Garner 49 in eight plays but the Trojan defense forces a punt, taking over at their own 24. Penalties kill the drive, giving MC the ball back at their own 22, where Carl Redd ends the half with an interception, preserving the 18-7 halftime lead.
The second half begins with both teams failing to score on their first possessions. Garner has the ball on their 2nd series from their own 46. Conyers and Hunter runs pick up the first down, before Howell hits Brandon Byars for 15 yards to the 22 but a Trojan personal foul backs it back to the 37. A McLaurin 9 yard gain is negated by a penalty but Conyers drives for 11 to bring up 4th and 6. Conyers breaks off a 19 yard gain for the first down at the Mustang 14 and keep the drive alive. McLaurin take it to the 9. After a Middle Creek penalty move it to the 5, Howell passes three straight corner fades to Josh Brooks, connecting on the third and 14th play of the drive at 3:47 and Howell kick makes it 25-7.
Pat Monahan intercepts the Leatham pass on the next Middle Creek series but the Trojans turn the ball back over giving the Mustangs the ball at their own 38. Astson Anglin-Stone makes a terrific defensive deflection to kill the drive. A 61 yard punt by the 'Stangs is negated by a penalty allowing Terrell Sanders gets a hand on the second punt to give the Trojans the ball at the 32. The Trojans fail to convert the second chance and Middle Creek takes back over on their 42.
Middle Creek engineers a 58 yard drive to score on Tre Nesbit's 8 yard catch to cut the lead to 25-14 at 11:49 of the fourth quarter. Again penalties kill both ensuing possessions and a Howell 48 yard punt gives the Mustangs the ball at their own 12, and the drive 7 plays, aided by two Trojan penalties to score on Nesbit's 30 yard reception to cut the lead to 25-20 with 3:56 to go in the game.
The Trojans get a touchback on the kick but failed to pick up the first down. Howell booms a 62 yard punt to pin the Mustangs to their own 8 with just 2:16 to go. Damon, Anglin-Stone and Watkins create havoc in the Mustang series forcing three Leatham misses and the Trojans take over on downs, where they can kill the clock and preserve the road win.
The Trojans (1-1) are back home to the friendly confines of Trojan Stadium next Friday for the 7:30PM game:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
GAR | 12 | 6 | 7 | 0 | - 25 |
MC | 7 | 0 | 0 | 13 | - 20 |
SCORING:
MC: Marvin Mackey 37 pass from Garrett Leatham, Matt Frongello kick
GAR: Jeremiah Davis 1 yard run, kick failed
GAR: McLaurin 1 yard run, 2pt attempt failed
GAR: Josh Brooks 29 yard pass from BG Howell, 2pt attempt failed
GAR: Josh Brooks 5 yard pass from BG Howell, Howell kick
MC: Tre Nesbit 8 yard pass from Leatham, Frongello kick
MC: Tre Nesbit 30 yard pass from Leatham, 2pt attempt failed
GAR | MC | |
---|---|---|
Rushes-yards | 37-176 | 14-19 |
Comp-Att-Yards-Int | 10-23-142-1 | 25-44-255-2 |
Total Yards | 318 | 274 |
First downs | 11 | 12 |
Penalties | 19-163 | 13-96 |
RUSHING: Jeremy Conyers 15-94 yards, TD; Connor McLaurin 9-52 yards; Jeremiah Davis 6-32 yards TD; Kel Johnson 1-(-2); BG Howell 5-0 yards
PASSING: BG Howell 10-23-142 yards, 2TD, Int
RECEIVING: Josh Brooks 3-59 yards, 2TD; Ian Hunter 3-23 yards; McLaurin 1-33 yards; Brandon Byars 1-15 yards; Conyers 2-12 yards
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