Troy 23 Hilliard Bradley 22

High School Football

Division I Region 2 Quarterfinal
Home Team: Troy Trojans
Visiting Team: Bradley Jaguars
Venue: Troy Memorial Stadium
Game Time: 7:00 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: None

I wouldn't let myself expect anything going into this game. Sure, the Trojans finished the regular season 8-2 with a first-round bye, whereas Bradley went 5-5 and had to defeat Dublin Jerome to get into this one, but Bradley's schedule was tougher. I just wanted to go enjoy a football game under the lights of Troy Memorial on a beautiful fall night. If the Trojans happened to win and advance, great; if it turned out to be the last game of the season, well, there was no shame in that.

So when the Trojans came out and mostly dominated the first half, it was a pleasant surprise...but it flipped the expectation switch. I couldn't help feeling like the 17-6 halftime lead should have been bigger. And when Bradley came out after halftime and completely stoned Troy's momentum, I was disappointed. And when they flipped the script and took the lead, I was...irritated? I'm not sure what the right adjective is, honestly, but I was definitely in a frame of mind that I was trying to avoid. But the game wasn't over; Troy rallied to regain the lead with just over four minutes left. When it became evident they were probably going to score, I was hoping they would find a way to run some more clock first, but the defense came through and put it away.

The name of this game was turnovers. Troy started it, losing a fumble just as they were about to score on their first drive. But they managed to turn that into a favor, stuffing Bradley for a safety and at least getting two points (and the ball) out of it. From there, the Jaguars' QB would throw four picks—three in the first half, and a fourth after Troy took the 23-22 lead. Then, after Troy went three and out and had to give the ball back one last time, a fifth turnover—a fumble—finally sealed the deal.

All in all, it was a wild one.

On a personal note...you know, I grew up in Troy and then lived there again for a while as an adult, but unless I'm there specifically to visit family or friends, I tend to forget that I still know people around town. So I was a little surprised to run into one of my classmates, whose son is a senior on the team. It felt like stepping into a time warp.

Anyway, with the win, the Trojans survive to play at least one more game. Next week they'll play at home again against a once-familiar foe: Wayne High School, from nearby Huber Heights. The Trojans have the better record and the higher seed, but Wayne's losses are to state powers Pickerington Central, St. Ed's, and Springfield, all also still alive in the Division I playoffs (oh, and 4-6 Beavercreek, WTF). If Troy is to move on to the regional final, they're going to have to earn it.