South Harrison grabs GRC lead, Trenton has near-miss, in Friday’s GRC football action

The Trenton Bulldogs, in their fifth game of a COVID-19 affected football season, came within one score of their first victory of 2020, coming up just short of that goal in a 22-20 setback against Maysville on Friday night, in action broadcast on Hot Country Z 101.7.

The first half of the game from the historic Cemetery Bowl was rather non-descript, with both teams struggling to move the football consistently, with two quarters finishing up with a scoreless tie.  Trenton’s defense created two opportunities through turnovers, with Kayden Spencer picking off a pass late in the first quarter, while Royce Jackson recovered a fumble two minutes deep into the second quarter.  Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, neither turnover resulted in points.

The second half started strong for Trenton, with the Bulldogs grabbing a lead for the first time this season, as Payden McCullough scored on a one-yard dive, adding the two-point conversion for an 8-0 lead with 9:22 remaining in the quarter.  On the ensuing kickoff, a short kick was grabbed by Logan Goll at the Wolverines 38 yard line.  He returned the kick 62 yards for the touchdown, with a 2-point run by quarterback Caleb Jestus tying the game at 8.

The Bulldogs next possession saw the longest scoring play of the campaign to date, as sophomore quarterback Coleman Griffin kept the football on an option play, and found tons of green grass up the left sideline, going untouched with a 65 yard score.  The missed 2 point try left the THS lead at 14-8 with 8:12 to go in the third quarter.  Five minutes later, Caden Israel had the Wolverines longest play from scrimmage in the game, racing for a 45 yard touchdown.  The failed conversion left the score, after three quarter, knotted up at 14.

Trenton’s running attack, showing strong improvement, particularly in the second half, found another score to take a brief lead with 8:25 to go in the game, as McCullough scored, again from one yard out.  However, the Wolverine defense kept the two-run try out of the end zone.  With Maysville down 20-14, the Wolverines struck with the game-tying point with a Jake Redman 16 yard run with 4:41 to go, with the successful 2 point run by Jestus giving the home team the 22-20 lead.

Trenton’s drive to try to retake the lead fizzled on downs at the Wolverines 30, with Maysville able to run out the clock from that point.  The win improves Maysville to 2-5 overall and 1-4 in the Grand River Conference, while dropping Trenton to 0-5 overall and 0-3 in conference play.

Here is Trenton head coach Kevin Hixson: 

Coleman Griffin finished with 13 carries and 118 yards on the ground for Trenton, with McCullough adding seven carries for 47 yards.  Trenton will host the Gallatin Bulldogs this Friday night, October 16th at C.F. Russell Stadium, with kickoff slated for 7 o’clock on Hot Country Z 101.7.

Up the highway from Maysville, the Milan Wildcats and South Harrison Bulldogs played for the GRC lead at Memorial Stadium in Bethany, where the host Bulldogs, riding a strong 1-2 rushing attack of Austin Lasher and Gradyn Linthacum, beat the visitors from Milan, 26-7, in a game broadcast on KTTN FM 92.3.   South Harrison coach Chris Schoning:

The South Harrison duo combined for 4 rushing touchdowns (three from Lasher) and over 300 yards on the ground in the victory, South Harrison’s sixth in a row (6-1, 5-0).  Milan (6-1, 4-1) falls into a second-place tie with Princeton, with both the Wildcats and Tigers having one league loss.  Milan head coach John Dabney noted that the Wildcats struggles to slow down Lasher was one of the key factors in deciding Friday night’s showdown:

South Harrison plays at Princeton in another game with GRC title implications this week, with coverage on KTTN FM 92.3.  Princeton won at Polo on Friday night 36-6, the Tigers third victory in a row.

Here is the high school football scoreboard for Friday, October 9, 2020: 

Gallatin 48, Putnam County 8 

Savannah 37, Chillicothe 8 

Maryville 49, Lincoln Prep 10 

Mexico 22, Kirksville 21

St. Pius X 47, Benton 7 

Cameron 34, Lafayette 33

Lexington 42, Carrollton 22

Higginsville 62, Knob Noster 0 

Richmond 46, Holden 7 

Lawson 14, Lathrop 12

West Platte 48, North Platte 20 

Mid-Buchanan 49, East Buchanan 21

Penney 41, Plattsburg 14

Marceline 61, Salisbury 14

Scotland County 36, Knox County 28 

Westran 46, Tolton Catholic 8 

Harrisburg 30, Fayette 20 

Paris 58, Russellville 22

Centralia 24, Bowling Green 22

Monroe City 30, Macon 7

Palmyra 47, Highland 6

Marshall 59, Fulton 21

Moberly 14, Hannibal 13

8 MAN : 

East Mills (IA) 63, Pattonsburg 14

Bishop LeBlond 36, Northwest Nodaway 14

North Andrew 50, Albany 46

King City 52, Schuyler County 0

Keytesville-Northwestern 54, Northwest (Hughesville) 8 

Norborne/Hardin-Central 50, Braymer 24

Stanberry 36, North Shelby 34 (OT) 

Orrick 42, Santa Fe 26

Drexel 35, St. Paul Lutheran 14

East Atchison 52, Stewartsville-Osborn 6

Platte Valley 52, DeKalb 50

South Holt / Nodaway-Holt 69, Mound City 24