Koroly leads Hillers to rout of Mustangs
Trinity’s Joey Koroly stiff arms Laurel Highlands’ Conner Besinger before attempting to carry the ball past Ryan Richter at Hiller Field Friday night.
Trinity’s Dylan Kern gets off a pass before being hit Friday night by Laurel Highlands’ Brandon Chury.
Trinity’s Cole Bair runs past Laurel Highlands’ Shawn Ritchter Friday night.
Trinity’s Dylan Kern gets tackled by Laurel Highlands’ Chad Petrush, right and Ian Edenfield at Hiller Field Friday night.
Trinity’s Jared Embert gets tackled by Laurel Highlands’ Chad Petrush,right and Ian Edenfield at Hiller Field Friday night.
After two tough losses to Big 9 Conference rivals West Mifflin and Thomas Jefferson, the Trinity Hillers were in search of a win that could turn their season around.
They got just what the doctor ordered with a 37-7 win over visiting Laurel Highlands Friday night.
The victory brought Trinity’s record to 1-2 while the Mustangs fell to 2-2.
“We kind of let one get away against West Mifflin and had a rough go against TJ the next week,” Trinity coach Jon MIller said. “This one feels good, especially getting it at home.”
Joey Koroly was the spearhead for the Hiller attack Friday, as he was last year against Laurel Highlands, when he went for 333 yards rushing and six scores in a 40-7 win.
This year, the sledding was more difficult as the senior running back finished with 145 yards rushing on 28 carries.
Fullback Tanner Hudak added 65 yards on 11 carries for the Hillers.
“We did a good job spreading the ball around,” Miller added. “They were keying on Joey, so we had to adjust and get the offense rolling that way.”
The Hillers did get out to a slow start.
On their first possession, quarterback Dylan Kern was intercepted by Jacob Durkman, squashing an early scoring threat and giving the Mustangs some life.
But the Mustangs never did get going as they were held to 54 yards total offense in the first half. Trinity’s defense held the Mustangs to 145 yards of offense for the game, much of it coming in the fourth quarter, when the Hiller reserves were playing.
“That interception early kind of bogged us down,” Miller said. “But we stuck with it and eventually got it going.”
Trinity broke through in the second quarter, one drive after being stopped on a fourth and goal at the one. The Hillers regained possession on the Mustang 41 and marched it into the end zone, capped by a Koroly 1-yard scoring plunge.
The Hillers made it 9-0 when freshman Micah Finley broke through and blocked a Durkman punt midway through the quarter for a safety.
“That was big,” Miller added. “It got us going a bit.”
Trinity closed out the scoring in the half with another Koroly score, this one from 4 yards out.
The Hillers put the game away early in the third when they stopped a fake punt attempt and gained possession of the ball at the Mustangs’ 29. One play later, Kern found Cole Bair for a 29-yard scoring connection and the rout was on at 23-0.
“Cole came up big for us tonight,” Miller said. “He ran the ball well on some jet sweeps and made that catch there for a score.”
Kern added a 13-yard scoring strike to Jared Embert on their next possession. Hudak capped the scoring for the Hillers with a 1-yard plunge midway through the fourth.
Conner Basinger got the Mustangs on the board late in the fourth when he scrambled in from the seven.
Basinger finished with 76 yards rushing on 10 carries.