Hillers bounce back to rout Highlanders
After last week’s 21-0 loss to Moon, many questions were raised about Trinity’s football team, especially the offense.
After all, the Hillers were returning the Big 6 Conference’s offensive player of the year in quarterback Jonah Williamson.
The 6-2 junior was coming off a season in which he passed and rushed for more than 1,000 yards. And there were enough offensive parts that could lend a hand against the stronger teams on the schedule. Shutouts were something Trinity’s opponents probably could only wish for.
Well, McGuffey proved to be the perfect tonic for Trinity’s Week Zero woes, as the Hillers’ offense exploded for 42 points in the first half, turning the game into a mercy-rule affair in a 49-6 victory over the Highlanders on a rainy Friday evening at Hiller Field.
“We had a rough start but it’s always nice to build as a team and get better,” said Williamson. “We were really tuned in. We ran the ball hard. We do our stuff and do it well.”
The win raised Trinity’s record to 1-1 while McGuffey fell to 0-2.
“We shot ourselves in the foot last week,” said Trinity head coach Dan Knause. “We’re a program of accountability and we weren’t really patient enough last week. We had our share of mistakes, whether it was miscommunication or play calling.
“We knew we were a good team. What that game showed was that we learned and grew from it.”
After Andy Palm’s 25-yard field goal was blocked by a McGuffey defender, Trinity’s offense would not be denied.
Caden Vogel picked off a pass on the Highlanders’ next possession and raced into the end zone to give the Hillers a 7-0 lead.
Williamson ended Trinity’s second possession with a 31-yard run off the right side to make it 14-0.
“He’s getting a lot of attention,” Knause said of Williamson. “At Moon, we were too one-dimensional. Looking back at it, some other guys should have had more touches. That’s when we’re at our best on offense, when he can distribute the ball.”
A fumble by McGuffey set up Trinity’s next score; an eight-yard run by Daniel Glass with 39 seconds to play in the first quarter.
Williamson scored his second touchdown of the game, going over from one yard to make it 28-0.
Nico Mauro put the Hillers up 35-0 when he bullied over from the one-yard line midway through the second quarter.
The scoring onslaught for the first half came to an end on Trinity’s next possession. Mekhi Bouman went over from the one. Trinity’s drive was helped out by two McGuffey penalties.
Williamson rushed unofficially for 55 yards on seven carries in the first half. He did not play in the second half with the Hillers holding a 42-point lead.
Owen Samogala scored on an eight-yard run with 4:52 left to play.
Denny Furmanek scored on a short run with 1:02 remaining to break the shutout for McGuffey.
“Everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong,” said McGuffey head coach Nate Parry. “We had a nice first series but we made a lot of mistakes. Things just went badly. We’ve got a lot of injuries.”
The Highlanders’ injuries include starting quarterback Logan Carlisle.
“He got hurt in the Washington game and wanted to keep it from us,” said Parry. “We didn’t find out about it until Monday. He has an upper-body injury, and hopefully we’ll get him back soon.”