by Garrettsville, Ohio – The #4 seed Garrettsville Garfield G-Men held off the visiting #13 seed Trinity Trojans, 35-26, in the first round at JAG Field Friday night.
Trinity won the toss and elected to receive the ball to kick off Friday’s game. The G-Men held them to a three-and-out, forcing the Trojans to punt. A short punt gave Garfield field position at the Trinity 37. They would finish the drive thanks to a six-yard touchdown run from sophomore Jack Neikirk. The PAT was no good, and Garfield’s lead stood at 6-0.
Trinity followed up with a touchdown drive of their own, as Aidan Duncan had a one-yard run to the end zone. The PAT was good, and the Trojans took the lead, 7-6, with 2:41 left in the first quarter.
Trinity also came up with a fumble recovery on defense, but could not take further advantage, being forced to punt the ball away.
Thanks to their ground game, Garfield was able to regain the lead, as senior running back Harper Troyer rushed for a six yard score. Jack Neikirk scrambled and found Brandyn Bogucki for a two-point conversion. This put the G-Men ahead, 14-7, midway through the second quarter.
Kaden Robinson rushed for another touchdown to knot the score at 14 all with 27 seconds left in the half.
The G-Men had the ball to begin the third quarter. It didn’t take long for them to find the end zone. Sophomore Devin Bates would break free for a 49-yard touchdown run, giving Garfield a 20-14 lead.
After forcing a Trinity punt, Garfield marched down the field once again. They would finish their drive with a one-yard touchdown run from Harper Troyer. He also ran in the two-point conversion, increasing the G-Men lead to 28-14.
Trinity kept their drive alive, as Aiden Duncan ran for a first down on third and long deep in their own territory. A few plays later, Kaden Robinson rushed for his third touchdown of the game. The PAT was no good, but Garfield’s lead was trimmed to 28-20 with 11:55 left to go.
The G-Men went back to their ground game, eating up clock and moving downfield with precision. Harper Troyer would complete their drive with a six-yard touchdown run, his third of the game. Hannah Timmons converted the extra point, increasing the lead to 35-20 with 8:36 left. Troyer finished with 21 carries for 144 yards and three touchdowns.
Garfield also had a big play on defense, as Harper Troyer forced a fumble, recovered by Devin Bates. However, Trinity would come up with a fumble recovery as their own, as Mario Muniz recovered for the Trojans.
The Trinity offense got back to work, needing to score to stay in the game. They would deliver, as senior Aiden Duncan found Kaden Robinson for a 16-yard touchdown toss. The two-point try was broken up in the end zone, keeping Garfield ahead by two scores at 35-26 with 2:51 to play.
The G-Men recovered an onside kick attempt, and rushed for a pair of first downs to ice the game.
Garrettsville Garfield, now 9-2, advances to take on #5 Sugarcreek Garaway in the second round of the OHSAA Division V, Region 17 playoffs. Sophomore running back Devin Bates had 15 carries for 156 yards and a touchdown.
Trinity finishes their season at 6-5. Senior quarterback Aidan Duncan had 15 carries for 96 yards and a touchdown. He also went 10 of 16 passing for 135 yards and a touchdown. Senior running back Kaden Robinson had 15 carries for 56 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
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