Trinity earns tough road win at Canon-McMillan
CANONSBURG – It appears that Trinity’s Big Six conference title last year was indeed no fluke.
The Hillers appear to be primed to also make a run at the rugged Allegheny Six in Class 5A after a pulsating 29-24 win over Canon-McMillan Friday night at AHN Field in Canonsburg.
Trinity has started the season off 2-0 and the Big Macs fell to 1-1 on the young season.
Trinity raced out to a 17-0 lead in the first half and ballooned its lead to 29-10 before the Big Macs made a late furious push in an attempt to steal the game late. But a 32 yard Owen Samogala pass to Chase Kostelnik on third and long with less than three minutes to go kept the ball with the Hillers and eventually clinched the game.
Owen Gardner scored twice and rushed for 96 yards on 13 carries. Samogala completed 7 of 10 passes for 157 yards.
Ty Jansma’s right arm was busy for the Big Macs, completing 12 of 24 throws for 148 yards. He was pressured all night by a ferocious Hiller pass rush and never seemed comfortable all night long.
Canon-McMillan, which played uphill much of the evening, climbed closer coming out of the half when they marched to the Trinity 19, where Rhys Maentz hit a 37 yard field goal to cut the Trinity lead to 17-10 midway through the third. The march was highlighted by a 34 yard completion to Luke Sohyda to the Hiller 30.
The Big Macs then received a gift when a low snap forced Trinity punter Evan Slagle to field the ball with one knee down on the turf, giving the ball to Canon-McMillan on the Hiller 15 following the Hillers ensuing possession.
Canon-McMillan appeared poised to tie the game when they had it 2nd and goal at the one. But Jansma fumbled when attempting to sneak it in. Trinity recovered to stop the scoring threat at the 1 at the three minute mark of the third.
The Hillers then embarked on a 99 yard drive that bridged the third and fourth quarter. Daniel Glass punctuated the march with a 43 yard rip up the middle for a score. The snap on the extra-point was errant, leaving the Hiller lead at 23-10 with 10:56 to go.
Trinity then appeared to put the game out of reach on their next drive courtesy of a Kostelnik punt return deep into Big Mac real estate. A personal foul penalty put the Hillers on the Canon-McMillan 12. Two plays later, Samogala scored from seven yards out, pushing the Trinity lead to 29-10 with 7:40 left in regulation.
Jansma kept on flinging it to keep the Big Macs afloat. Finally one of his heaves connected when he found a wide open Bryan Schmeltz for a 49 yard touchdown less than a minute after Samogala’s score. Jansma then ran in the two point conversion to slice the Hiller lead to 29-17.
Canon-McMillan then made things interesting when Maentz recovered an onside kick. Jansma then fired the Big Macs closer when he hoisted a 37 yard completion to Roman Cimarolli to the Hiller 4. Braylon Wingfield then slugged it in from the four to cut the lead to 29-24 with 4:28 remaining.
The Hillers struck early when Braden Berdar took a bubble screen pass from Samogala and raced 76 yards to the Canon-McMillan four on the game’s first play from scrimmage. Gardner then plowed in from the four to put Trinity out early 7-0 a mere two plays into the contest.
Before Canon-McMillan could recover, the Hillers hit them again with another haymaker. Gardner took an option pitch and rumbled unencumbered 50 yards for a score. Cooper Cincinnati’s extra point was true, giving Trinity a 14-0 lead after four offensive plays.
Trinity appeared poised to take a three score lead on their next possession when they had the ball on the Big Mac 20. But Canon-McMillan’s Blake Schulenberg fielded an errant option pitch to quell the drive and give the sputtering Big Macs the ball right back.
Trinity then retained possession and marched into Big Mac territory again. This time though, Canon-McMillan held and forced a 35 yard field goal attempt by Cincinnati which was true, pushing the lead to 17-0 three minutes plus into the second quarter.
Canon-McMillan got in gear offensively midway through the second quarter thanks to Jansma completions of 31 and 14 yards to Mason Orsini. Their drive however stalled at the Hiller 25 when Evan Lewis was stopped just short of a first down on fourth and four.
After forcing a three-and-out, the Big Macs again drove into scoring range. This time Canon-McMillan struck gold when Jansma found Roman Cimarolli for a 13 yard touchdown with six seconds left in the half. Rhys Maentz made the extra-point, cutting the Hiller lead to 17-7 at half.