For the second consecutive week, the Trenton Bulldogs football team faced the challenge of trying to swing an upset against a Class 2 Top 10 team. Although Friday night’s result matched the first-week tally in a loss at Lathrop, noticeable improvement was evident in the Bulldogs home opener at C.F. Russell Stadium. By the final buzzer, a Lexington running attack led by senior quarterback Alvaro Porras was too dominant, with the Minutemen claiming the 44-21 win.
Despite giving up two early scores (20 yard run by Porras and an 11 yard run by Sean Emerson), the Bulldogs, down 14-0 midway through the first quarter, were beginning to show growth and consistently offensively, particularly in Trenton’s traditionally bruising running attack. Needing a score to cut the lead in half, the Bulldogs leaned on the offensive line and junior running back Mark Trump, who got Trenton on the board with 15 1/2 seconds remaining in the opening quarter. Tom Johnson had the call on Hot Country Z 101.7 and U-Click TV:
Lexington’s Porras, a senior quarterback for the Mnutemen, pushed the lead back to 20-7 on a 28 yard scoring run with 8:13 remaining in the second quarter. However, the Bulldogs answered the Lexington challenge, embarking on a drive of 6 minutes and 58 seconds, culminating with Trump’s second touchdown run of the half:
The biggest break of the night happened on the ensuing kickoff, with contact at the 35 yard line causing the Lexington kick returner to briefly bobble the ball. However, he kept possession and returned the football to mid-field. A half-minute later, Emerson had a two-yard touchdown run, and instead of down only one score at the half, Trenton went to the locker room down 28-14.
Lexington’s defense was stronger against Trump and the Bulldog rushing attack in the third quarter, with a 71 yard Porras run, his third touchdown of the night, serving as the back-breaker to Trenton, as a two-point conversion surging the Minuteman lead to 36-14. Emerson had an 11 yard touchdown run to make the lead 44-14 early in the fourth quarter. Five minutes later, an offensive miscue by Lexington gave Trenton the football inside the 10 yard line, giving Trump on opportunity for more points:
In his best rushing night as a Bulldog, Trump had 30 carries for 162 yards with three touchdowns. Head Coach Brandon Boswell acknowledged both the improvement still needed, but also the improvement shown, by his football team:
Trenton will open Grand River Confererence play at Gallatin next Friday night, September 7th at 7 o’clock on Hot Country Z 101.7 and UClickTV, while unbeaten Lexington will take a 2-0 record into a non-conference test at Wellington-Napoleon.
The Princeton Tigers, on Friday night, showed a great rebound from an opening night struggle against Mid-Buchanan, hitting the road and walloping the North Platte Panthers, 58-22, in a game broadcast on KTTN FM 92.3. Princeton Coach Thomas Hotmer was very pleased with his young team’s performance:
The Milan Wildcats used the turnover bug to flip the field against Mark Twain and shutout the Tigers on Friday night, 21-0, improving to 2-0. Here is victorious Head Coach John Dabney:
The rest of the scores from Friday, August 31, 2018 were:
Mid-Buchanan 49, Maysville 6
South Harrison 30, West Platte 26
Penney 21, Gallatin 13
South Shelby 44, Putnam County 20
Slater 14, Polo 8 (OT)
East Buchanan 46, Bishop LeBlond 12
Lee’s Summit North 41, St. Joseph Central 7
Monroe City 8, Brookfield 0
Marceline 41, Knox County 6
Fayette 46, Scotland County 16
Paris 14, Salisbury 12
Schuyler County 26, Harrisburg 12
Kirksville 41, Chillicothe 0
Maryville 36, Harrisonville 0
St. Pius X 36, St. Michael’s 25
Cameron 24, KC East 8
Pleasant Hill 39, Savannah 25
Excelsior Springs 35, Benton 7
Lafayette 20, KC Center 13
Palmyra 39, Bowling Green 0
Centralia 19, Clark County 8
Westran 20, Carrollton 0
Macon 46, Highland 0
Lawson 35, Lafayette County 0
Frontenac 19, Richmond 8
Knob Noster 44, Warsaw 40
Boonville 49, Holden 14
Plattsburg 44, Sumner 18
Stanberry 58, Albany 20
Pattonsburg 58, Braymer 12
King City 86, Northwest (Hughesville) 22
Mound City 66, Stewartsville 0
Worth County 70, Bedford 12
North Andrew 36, St. Joseph Christian 6
DeKalb 34, Chilhowee 6
Orrick 54, Norborne 30
East Atchison 58, Northwest Nodaway 0
Rock Port 68, Platte Valley 22
