The Putnam County Midgets raced out to a 23-6 lead after one quarter behind superb special teams play and the bruising running style of Torqe Brundage, then had to weather a flurry of Trenton scoring plays over the final three quarters of regulation, winning in Unionville on Friday night by a score of 30-26, in a Grand River Conference game broadcast on Hot Country Z 101.7.
PC started fast, taking advantage of a Bulldog defense struggling to cut off the edge, with Brundage scoring on a 51 yard gallop less than two minutes in the first quarter, with Jorge Lopez returning a Trenton punt 62 yards for a touchdown with 6:41 to go in the first quarter. Down 14-0, the Trenton offense, to that point scuffling in the 2019 season, needed a spark. Senior Jaren Whitney provided exactly that with an 80 yard blast down the north sideline at Putnam County Stadium. The extra point attempt by Sam Schilling failed, leaving the margin at 14-6.
Before the end of the quarter, Putnam County kicker Aaron Perez nailed a 35 yard field goal, and Brundage found pay-dirt on a 5 yard plunge, leaving the score at 23-6 after 12 minutes of play.
In the second quarter, Trenton connected on a slant pattern, with a 49 yard pass and run from Schiling to Dalton Burchett cutting the lead to 23-12, as the two-point conversion attempt failed. Late in the quarter came perhaps the game’s biggest swing of momentum, with Trenton driving to potentially cut the lead to one score, a bobbled snap was left on the grass and recovered by Putnam County at the 27 yard line. On the very next play, Brundage burst into the Trenton secondary and outraced the Bulldogs for a 73 yard score, with the Perez PAT leaving the halftime score at 30-12.
The second half would see Putnam County, its offense slowed by leg cramps keeping Brundage and Perez on the sideline, significantly slowed by Trenton’s defense, while the Bulldogs began to show more life from its running game. Whitney’s second long scoring run of the game, with 9:46 remaining in the third quarter, got THS to within 30-18. Tom Johnson had the call from Putnam County High School:
Trenton’s next score came with the Bulldogs backed up after a Midget punt, with Mark Trump getting the ball on a trap play, with just under 4 minutes remaining in regulation:
Needing the football to complete the comeback, but low on time outs, Trenton elected to on-side kick and failed with that attempt. One first down allowed Putnam County to drain the clock down to zero, leaving PC at 2-2 on the season, and 1-1 in the Grand River Conference, dropping Trenton to 0-4 overall, and 0-2 in GRC play.
Despite the loss, the Trenton running attack put up huge numbers, with Whitney carrying the ball 18 times for 252 yards, and Trump 15 hauls for 144 yards. Brundage, for Putnam County, had 18 carries for 205 yards.
Here is the complete scoreboard from Friday, September 20, 2019:
Princeton 25, Milan 24 (on KTTN FM 92.3)
South Harrison 32, Polo 0
Gallatin 23, Maysville 14
Mid-Buchanan 53, North Platte 6
Lawson 35, Plattsburg 0
East Buchanan 30, West Platte 14
Lathrop 49, Penney 13
Chillicothe 42, Cameron 25
Savannah 40, Lafayette 21
Adrian 34, Benton 17
Maryville 62, St. Pius 6
Lexington 30, Brookfield 14
Summit Christian 28, Higginsville 7
Excelsior Springs 28, Richmond 14
Carrollton 41, Salisbury 14
Knob Noster 45, Tipton 6
Holden 40, Crest Ridge 12
Marceline 27, Fayette 0
Smithville 51, Raytown South 16
Scotland County 42, Schuyler County 0
Knox County 14, Paris 12
Harrisburg 28, Westran 14
Monroe City 46, Macon 41
Palmyra 28, South Shelby 8
Clark County 14, Kirksville 12
Centralia 51, Highland 0
Pattonsburg 78, King City 52
Stanberry 66, Bishop LeBlond 34
North Shelby 54, Braymer 0
Worth County 82, Albany 42
North Andrew 62, Osceola 20
East Atchison 50, DeKalb 22
Southwest Livingston 58, Mound City 34
South Holt / Nodaway-Holt 58, Platte Valley 24
Orrick 60, Stewartsville 14
Rock Port 52, Northwest Nodaway 6
y 54, Braymer 0
Worth County 82, Albany 42
North Andrew 62
