Home Page Sports

From Alparon Park, to Dover Delaware, to District IV, and now claiming victory on the state championship field – for the first time in both school and NTL history, the Troy Trojans are Pennsylvania State Champions!

On Friday, December 6th 15-0 Trojans (ranked 47th in the state) competed in the PIAA Class AA State Championship against the 14-1 Central Clarion Wildcats (ranked 26th in the state). Both teams traveled to Cumberland Valley High School in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania for the showdown.

It was obvious from the start that the Wildcats had watched their film as they shut down the Trojan kickoff return team, forcing a fumble inside the red zone. In a major defensive hold, the Trojans forced out the Wildcats field goal team – getting Central Clarion ahead early, 3-0.

On the next drive, the stalwart Trojan offensive line stuck to the run game, rushing hard, advancing their way down the field. Then, inside the 5, Brendan Gilliland followed Kael Millard over the threshold – scoring the first state championship touchdown in Trojan history. The extra point was no good, Troy up 3.

On the following kickoff, the Troy bombers flew down the field. Gavin Lykon Leffler hit one of the Wildcats’ middle men and Jack Burbage locked down the loose ball – setting up a scoring drive and the tone for a Trojan-favored first half.

From there the Trojans continued to march toward the end zone. Just after the quarter switched, Evan Woodward in shotgun, dropped back and aired out the ball to a wide open Gilliland. The point-after-attempt was no good, with Troy out ahead 12-3.

The Wildcats could not scale the Trojan wall and were kept out of the end zone until the halftime buzzer, sending both teams to the locker room with the Trojans still on top.

In the second half the Wildcats began putting the puzzle together, finding a successful drive down the field. Inside the Trojan twenty, Wildcat Jase Ferguson rolled out left and sent a quick pass to Ethan Rex who slid past three defenders for the sore. The extra point attempt was no good, Wildcats trailing 12-9.

With just over 4 minutes left in the third, the Wildcats forced the Trojans to punt. Two plays later, on the Trojan 47, Ferguson faked the run, then hit Rex in the flat who took it in for another Central Clarion score. The point-after-attempt was good, and the Wildcats pulled ahead 16-12.

To start the fourth quarter, Trojans on the Wildcat 28, Woodward pitched to Gililland. He found a hole in the Wildcat defense and rushed untouched to the house. The two point conversion was denied, but the Trojans reclaimed the lead 18-16.

The Wildcats prowled their way into the red zone with just over 6 minutes left in the championship bout. Ferguson called his own number with quarterback keeper around the outside. The Wildcats also went for a two-point-conversion, as Ferguson again rolled right and dished it to Kohen Kemmer to make it 24-18, Central Clarion.

With a fire in their bellies, the Trojans advanced down the field once more. With just over a minute left in the game, Woodward pitched to Mason Smith for the trick play. But Smith tucked it, ran the opposite side of the field and followed his blockers into the end zone. Lykon-Leffler, with pressure on, split the uprights to give Troy the single point lead, 25-24.

The Wildcats tried to put together one more scoring drive, but the Trojan shields buffeted every attack – forcing out the Wildcat kick team to attempt a championship-deciding field goal from the Trojan 40-yard line. The kick was short and time expired to give the Troy Trojans the 25-24 victory and state title.