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.

Troy 42 Lima Senior 15

High School Football

Division II Region 8 Playoffs
Home Team: Troy Trojans
Visiting Team: Lima Senior Spartans
Venue: Troy Memorial Stadium
Game Time: 7:00 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: None

Twenty-seven years later...well, it doesn't erase old scars. But it was a pretty sweet win nonetheless.

Troy has played Lima Senior twice before in the playoffs, both losses for the Trojans. The first, in 1989, was before my fandom began. The second, though...the second time was in 1996, at the height of my interest. That year's Troy team was the best I've seen—AP poll champions for Division I in Ohio, and nationally ranked by USA Today. It's unfortunate that they shared a region with Lima Senior; I truly believe the actual state championship game took place in the second round at Dayton's Welcome Stadium. Unfortunately, the Spartans pulled that one out 13-10 and went on to win the state championship, and the Trojans went home. My devastation was immeasurable.

The two teams haven't met in the meantime. So when the playoffs started this year, I saw this as a likely second-round matchup and circled it as a game I wanted to attend if both teams advanced. Of course, when the day of the game finally rolled around, I felt a little wishy-washy about going. This is normal for me. Of course I wanted to be at the game, but making the drive from Columbus to Troy, and then the return trip after the game...I just wasn't sure I wanted to give up my whole Friday evening, especially since I could still watch the game from the comfort of my own living room if I stayed home.

But in the end I decided to go. Win or lose, this would be the final home game for the Trojans this year (since games move to neutral sites after round two). And if all goes to plan, this was the last game at Troy Memorial Stadium with a natural grass surface. The weather was perfect for a November game, and I really wanted to see them take another shot at Lima Senior. Basically I had more reasons to go than excuses to stay home. So I bought my ticket online and hit the road, and I was in the familiar confines of the home-side stands about 35 minutes before kickoff.

And I'm really glad I went, even though it took even more of my evening than I expected. With Troy being such a run-heavy team and putting a running clock on so many of their opponents this year, I kind of forgot that sometimes high school football games do run long. Lima Senior runs a pass-heavy offense, which really slows the game down. Add in a group of officials determined to put on a Ref Show, plus one lengthy injury delay, the game went a full three hours, keeping me from getting back to my living room until nearly 11:45 p.m.

But it was worth it. I didn't have any idea how this game would go, but the Trojans really impressed me. Lima Senior, as I mentioned before, runs a pass-heavy offense (they only had 14 rushing attempts in this game [which I think includes the two sacks by the Troy defense] compared to 47 passes), and I think defending the pass is really hard in high school. But Troy was up to the task. The Spartans' 15 points were the most Troy has given up this season, but their two touchdowns included a spectacular diving catch in the endzone of a pass I thought was way overthrown, and a very short field after a Trojan fumble inside the 10. The defense pitched a shutout for the final 27 minutes of the game, as it went from a 15-all tie to more or less a Trojan rout.

And the offense? Well, Troy's prime threat, fullback Jahari Ward, has been out with an injury since early in the Week 9 game against Fairborn. In his absence, a more varied (but still ground-heavy) attack is still putting points up on the board. In this one, they found a plan of attack that Lima Senior just could not stop, and they ran it over and over.

So the Trojans improve to 11-1 on the season and advance to the Region 8 semifinals, where the road gets even tougher. They'll face the Withrow Tigers (also 11-1) out of Cincinnati, I'd guess at Welcome Stadium in Dayton. I won't be able to make it, but I'll be there in spirit, and I'm hoping to stream it if it's available.

Norton 28 Clyde 13

High School Football

Division III Region 10 Playoffs
Home Team: Clyde Fliers
Visiting Team: Norton Panthers
Venue: Bishop Stadium (Clyde, Ohio)
Game Time: 7:00 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: Brandi, MB

Anderson 44 Troy 7

High School Football

Division II Region 8 Playoffs
Home Team: Troy Trojans
Visiting Team: Anderson Raptors
Venue: Troy Memorial Stadium
Game Time: 7:00 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: None

Miamisburg 28 Troy 21

High School Football - Playoffs
Division II Region 8 Semifinals
Home Team: Troy Trojans
Visiting Team: Miamisburg Vikings
Venue: Good Samaritan Stadium (Clayton, OH)
Game Time: 7:30 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: None

Read my thoughts here.

Troy 41 Anderson 35

High School Football - Playoffs
Division II Region 8 Quarterfinals
Home Team: Troy Trojans
Visiting Team: Anderson High School
Venue: Troy Memorial Stadium
Game Time: 7:30 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: None

Read my thoughts here.

Upper Arlington 21 Troy 20 OT

High School Football - Playoffs
Division I Region 3 Quarterfinals
Home Team: Upper Arlington Golden Bears
Visiting Team: Troy Trojans
Venue: Marv Moorehead Memorial Stadium
Game Time: 7:00 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: None

Read my thoughts here.

Pickerington Central 24 Troy 8

High School Football - Playoffs
Division I Region 3 Quarterfinals
Home Team: Pickerington Central Tigers
Visiting Team: Troy Trojans
Venue: Pickerington Tiger Stadium
Game Time: 7:00 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: None

Read my thoughts here.

Phillies 2 Reds 0

Major League Baseball
National League Division Series
Home Team: Cincinnati Reds (J. Cueto)
Visiting Team: Philadelphia Phillies (C. Hamels)
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Game Time: 8:07 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: None

Game Story | Box Score

Commentary to come!