ARCANUM – The Trojans lead the list of big winners in week 3 football action. Arcanum playing came away with a 42-6 win over Mississinawa Valley on Thursday night. Other winners were Ansonia 46-6 over Dixie, Preble Shawnee 39-6 over National Trail, Tri-Village 38-6 over Twin Valley South and Tri-County North in a tight one 21-18 over Bradford.
Thursday night Mississinawa Valley went into Arcanum on the heels of securing their first win in over two years beating Dixie the previous week. After leading 6-0 the Greyhounds scored to tie the game only to see the Blackhawks score twice with all 20 points by both teams combined scored in the last 43 seconds of the game.
Arcanum after losing the first week to Covington rebounded with a 41-18 win over Twin Valley South in week two but got off to a slow start with the Blackhawks.
The Trojans took the opening drive 50-yards but turned it over on downs at the 1-yard line, … but two plays later scored on a safety to get on the board 2-0.
The Hawks punted but a good Arcanum return set-up good field position and in just three plays they punched it in on a 10-yard run from freshman running back Hudson Knaus to go up 9-0.
The Blackhawks fired right back on their next possession when sophomore running back Michael Bell went off right tackle and sprinted up the field leave everyone behind for a 65-yard TD to get MV on the board trailing 9-6 after the two-point conversions failed.
Arcanum Caleb Baker recovered a Mississinawa fumble near midfield giving the Trojans an opportunity to score before the end of the 1st quarter.
But in a series of events, I’ve not witnessed before took three untimed plays to start the second quarter after time ran out in the first. On second down Arcanum was whistled for a penalty as time expired in the period but was given an untimed down but again whistled for a penalty on 3rd down.
The next untimed play by Arcanum appeared to be a long touchdown catch on a 31-yard throw from Bishop Cartwright to senior Landon Wagner, but it was called back on penalty as well and the Trojans were going the wrong direction.
An incomplete pass on the next play also drew a flag backing Arcanum all the way to the 20 leaving them at 4th down and over 50 yards to go forcing them to punt and finally sending the game into the second quarter.
The Hawks were driving the ball but an interception by Lucas Miller stopped the drive.
Arcanum moved the ball on the ground but fumbled on the two-yard line, the Blackhawks up against their own goal line were forced to punt back to the Trojans and this time they would punch it home on a 6-yard run from sophomore running back MJ Macy for a 16-6 lead at the half.
“We left a lot of touchdowns out there in the first half by fumbling twice, once while going in for a TD. We had a lot of holding calls as well, we’ve got to move our feet. It’s us, we just got to get better,” Arcanum coach Matt Macy stated.
Arcanum was able to clean it up in the second half, playing more error free and found success running the ball pulling away from MV in the second half while holding them scoreless.
The Blackhawks would sustain a few injuries including one on the kickoff in to start the 2nd half and playing with limited guys … but that didn’t stop the Hawks from playing hard as they scrapped the entire game, something Arcanum coach Macy noted after the game.
“I think he (MV coach Steven Trobridge) is one of the best coaches in the league. He does a great job. They play hard, they could’ve just given up. We had a bunch of big plays, running up and down the field but they just keep coming. They never give up, that’s a credit to him,” Macy said.
The Blackhawks were held scoreless in the 2nd half and generated just 121 yards on offense, 106 on the ground with most of in on the 65-yard TD run from Michael Bell. Bell ended with 87 yards on 11 carries.
Mississinawa Valley coach complimented his players even after the rough 3rd quarter.
“We’re a tough, grit team. We’re not the biggest, not the fastest. If there’s one thing trying to rebuild all of this, that’s the one thing we got to get started first and we’re doing it,” Trobridge said.
Arcanum had 431 total yards of offense: 377 rushing and 54 passing. MJ Macy led rushing 26 times for 208 yards and two scores. Hudson Knaus ran it 8 times for 89 yards and one score, and Wyatt Schwartz had a TD while gaining 51 yards on the ground.Arcanum improves to 2-1, 2-0 in will travel to Ansonia in a big WOAC game next Friday.
Mississinawa fell to 1-2, 1-1 and will host Tri-Village on Friday.
Tri-County North 21 – Bradford 18
North held off multiple Railroader comebacks to pick up their first win of a year 21-18.
The Panthers opened the scoring on a 12-yard run from Franklin Filbrun to lead 7-0 in 1st quarter.
Bradford’s Owen Canan answered with a 2-yard QB keeper, but the conversion failed with the score 7-6 at the half.
North’s Peyton Fannin galloped 31-yards to increase the lead to 14-6 but Bradford struck right back on a kick-off return by Griffin Trevino going 79-yards only to fail on the conversion again to narrow the margin to 14-12.
Filbrun used his feet one more time to score before the end of the 3rd quarter from 5-yards out and the 3rd straight extra point kick from Madison Jeffers gave north a 21-12 lead heading into the final stanza.
Bradford scored one more time on an 18-yard pass from Owen Canan to Doolin Puterbaugh but would come up short in their comeback falling to North 21-18.
Tri-County North controlled the line of scrimmage with their run game going for 303 yards on 45 carries eating up a lot of the clock. Franklin Filbrun was the workhorse going 201 yards on 26 carries and 2 TDs. Peyton Fannin had 82 yards on 9 carries and a TD.
Bradford offense was more balanced with 144 yards rushing and 159 yards passing for a total of 303 yards of offense.
North goes to 1-2, 1-1 in conference and they will host Dixie in week 4.
Bradford remains winless falling to 0-3, 0-2 and they will play at National Trail next.
Tri-Village Village 38 – Twin Valley South 6
Twin Valley South rolled into New Madison and for nearly a half gave the Patriots fits by moving the football and keeping their offense off the field.
It took Tri-Village just 3 plays on the opening kick-off to score with the big play being a 62-yard run from junior Lathen Wehr followed by a 3-yard QB keeper from Trey Sagester as TV went up 7-0.
Twin Valley South had a good drive but stalled out past midfield. On their next drive they were able to respond by moving the football to the 10-yard line, but the Patriots held but the Panthers took lots of time off the clock.
Tri-Village would score at 6:55 of the 2nd quarter on a 38-yard pass from Sagester to Hayden Hunt to go up 13-0.
The Patriots struck one more time before the half ended on a 9-yard run from Lathen Wehr to go up 20-0 with under a minute left in the half.
South would shock the Patriots on a 90-yard bolt by Parker Weldy to end the half for the Panthers trailing now 20-6 at the break.
It was all Tri-Village in the 2nd half with Trey Sagester throwing for two scores a 15-yarder to Griffin Richards and two-yarder to Mason Weathington.
The final score of the game was a 1-yard run from Hayden Hunt his 2nd TD of the game for the 38-6 win.
Tri-Village had 469 total yards of offense. Sagester was 22/37 for 295 yards in the air and three TDs. Lathen Wehr led the rushing game with 99 yards on 10 carries.
The Patriots improve to 2-1, 1-1 and they will play at Mississinawa Valley next Friday.
Twin Valley South falls to 0-3, 0-2 and they will host Preble Shawnee on Thursday night.
Preble Shawnee 39 – National Trail 6
The Arrows scored 39 unanswered points, but the Blazers were able to avoid a shutout scoring late in the game falling 39-6.
Preble Shawnee had 359 yards of total offense in the game. Brody Morton was 14/19 for 251 yards and 2 TDs. Lane Lovely led the rushing game with 82 yards on 9 carries.
Isaac Blankenship had two rushing TD’s, Lovely and Morton each had one.
Reece Smith was on the end for two TD receptions. He had 4 catches for 125 yards.
The Arrows improve to 3-0, 2-0 and will play at Twin Valley South in a Thursday night game.
National Trail falls to 1-2, 1-1 and will hosts Bradford Friday night.
Ansonia 46 – Dixie 6
