Trinity Collegiate surprises Lawrence-Manning
By Don Gearhart
On Senior Night at Trinity Collegiate, it didn’t look good for the Titans as they took their 4-6 record into the contest against the 7-2 Lawrence-Manning Swampcats. The cool overcast and misty rain, however, couldn’t ruin the Titans last home game for their senior athletes.
Trinity received the opening kickoff at their own 35-yard line. Keeping the ball strictly on the ground, they marched down the field in nine plays. Carter Hardee called his own number for 28 total yards including the final three for the first score of the game. The series ate up just over four minutes of clock time and was capped when Brycen Scott danced around left end for the two point conversion to make the score 8-0 in favor of the Titans. The Swampcasts put up a seven play drive of their own but had to punt the ball away from their 42-yard line. Trinity was able to gain a first down before the first quarter came to a quick end.
The Titans methodically moved the ball into Swampcats territory running off 15 plays. On fourth down from the Lawrence-Manning 18-yard line, a pass to a wide open receiver in the endzone was dropped and the Titans defense had to take over. The Swampcats ran nine plays but eventually had to punt with 3:05 left in the half. Starting at their own 20-yard line, the Titans to the Swampcats 38-yard line as the first half came to an end.
Lawrence-Manning took the second half kickoff at their own 35-yard line. They turned the ball over when their fourth down attempt was short at their own 40-yard line. With a short field to work with, the Titans made quick work of finding the endzone again when Tre Leonard sprinted free for a 15-yard score. Hardee collected the two-point conversions to make the score 16-0 with 8:05 left in the third quarter. The Swampcats had good field position at their own 40 yard-line and once again failed to convert a fourth down at the Trinity 40-yard line. The Titans had a 10-play drive to paydirt. The key play of the drive was a 30-yard pass completion to Scott on a third-and-fifteen. Hardee finished the drive with a 3-yard keeper. The two-point conversion failed but the Titans had a 22-0 lead with only 0:38 left in the quarter.
The fourth quarter saw the Swampcats move the ball to the Trinity 27-yard line. An incomplete pass on fourth down gave the all back to the Titans. A six-play drive for Trinity Collegiate culminated with a 19-yard touchdown pass from Hardee to Matthew Warren. Once again the two-point conversion was foiled but with 7:00 left to play, the Titans had increased their lead to 28-0. The Swampcats moved the sticks to their own 40-yard line but four incomplete passes resulted in the Titans taking over. After gaining one first down, the Titans punted for the first time all night. Lawrence-Manning completed a pass for 7 yards and converted a run for 15 more before throwing an interception. With less than two minutes remaining, Trinity elected to take a knee on three successive plays as the clock ran out.
Leonard led the rushing attack with 14 carries for 109 yards and one touchdown. Hardee called his own number 16 time and rushed for 96 yards and two scores and a 2-point conversion. Scott ran 11 times for 65 yards and a 2-point conversion. He also caught two passes for 45 yards. Warren caught two passe for 27 yards and a score. On the night, Hardee also completed seven of 13 attempts for 89 yards and a score.
Trinity Collegiate now has to get ready for a rematch with Ben Lippen at their home field in Columbia where they lost to the 8-2 Falcons in Week 8 by a score of 56-22
