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 52 Fairborn 7

High School Football

Home Team: Fairborn Skyhawks
Visiting Team: Troy Trojans
Venue: Troy Memorial Stadium
Game Time: 7:00 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: None

The last time Troy played at Fairborn (a 49-14 win in 2023), it was the last game at Fairborn Memorial Stadium. Being there for that was a pretty cool experience. The new Fairborn Alumni Field opened last year; this obviously wasn't the first game there, but it was the first visit for the Trojans. And tonight the two teams inaugurated the Tom Massie Trophy in honor of a longtime Troy assistant coach and Fairborn teacher who passed this summer.

And that trophy will spend its first year gracing the halls of Troy High School. With both teams coming in at 3-1 and Troy playing (and beating) their biggest rivals last week, I wasn't sure what to expect, but the Trojans left no doubt. They led 21-0 after the first quarter, and Matt Barth kicked a school record-tying 46-yard field goal as the half expired to go up 31-7. A long pass and run made the score 38-7 a little more than two minutes into the second half to start the running clock and more or less end the night.

Troy 28 Piqua 7

High School Football

Home Team: Troy Trojans
Visiting Team: Piqua High School
Venue: Troy Memorial Stadium
Game Time: 7:00 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: None

69-66-6

Troy 49 Greenville 0

High School Football

Home Team: Troy Trojans
Visiting Team: Greenville Green Wave
Venue: Troy Memorial Stadium
Game Time: 8:00 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: None

It was a hot one tonight. Kickoff was actually bumped back an hour, to 8 p.m., to play in at least somewhat cooler conditions. It was still in the upper 80s when the game started, and I imagine it was quite a bit warmer than that down on the turf. From my spot about 2/3 of the way up the stands, it was fairly comfortable once the sun dipped below the trees, which happened right before the game started. Still, I'm glad the crowd was a little bit spread out—if it was as crowded as it was last week, when the new field debuted, I might have felt differently.

Obviously, the Trojans looked a lot better this week than they did last week. After they scored on the opening kickoff, Greenville then gave the ball back deep in their own territory on two straight possessions, leading to a 21-0 score after the first quarter. Troy cruised from there; the 35-0 score at the break meant the entire second half was played under a running clock, and the starters took the rest of the night off.

It's good to start league play with a big win, but next week will be a much more interesting test. Troy will go on the road for the first time this season, traveling south to take on an improved Butler squad that sits at 2-0 and is fresh off a win over Piqua.

Middletown 28 Troy 18

High School Football

Home Team: Troy Trojans
Visiting Team: Middletown Middies
Venue: Troy Memorial Stadium
Game Time: 7:00 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: None

I have great reverence for the Wing-T offense. That's what Troy was running when I was in high school 30+ years ago, and they had been running it for a long time then. But in the year of our lord 2024, brother...I don't think this is it. It's a different coach running it and a different era in football, and watching Troy's running backs and quarterback plow into the line for a two-yard gain over and over and over and over again was a chore. Without at least one beast on the line or in the backfield (preferably both), this offense just isn't the advantage it used to be.

Now, I have no doubt that Troy will right the ship and be more or less fine this year. Not world-beaters, maybe, but they'll be in the hunt for a league title. Probably. We'll see. Middletown is a team that has been up and down in football, and it seems like they only end up on Troy's schedule on their upswings. Troy lost to them in 2010 and 2011; Middletown's head coach then is Troy's head coach now. The Middies have a new coach this year, and the team he came from (Withrow) ended Troy's season in the playoffs last year. So they're probably going to turn out to be pretty decent.

And at any rate, this particular game wasn't so much about the game itself. This was all about Troy Memorial Stadium, which at long last has been converted from a natural grass field to an artificial surface, and also now features an upgraded video scoreboard. I'm pretty sure the scoreboard it replaced was installed for the 1994 season (although it's possible it happened after that season and debuted in 1995), and its best days were long behind it. As for the turf, I have mixed feelings. The evidence seems to suggest that natural grass is better to play on in terms of injuries, and I wouldn't be surprised if the pendulum swings back in that direction sooner rather than later; Troy may have been better served to wait it out with the grass field. But in the meantime, it looks fantastic, and it's great that the stadium will be able to serve as a neutral site in the playoffs again.

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.

Troy 49 Fairborn 14

High School Football
Home Team: Fairborn Skyhawks
Visiting Team: Troy Trojans
Venue: Fairborn Memorial Stadium/Buschemeyer Field
Game Time: 7:00 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: None

As I tend to do, I waffled for a while about whether I was going to go to this game or not. There was rain in the forecast—for later in the evening, it's true, but I wasn't sure I wanted to chance getting soaked to watch a game the Trojans were likely to win going away. But then I found out that this was going to be the last game played at Fairborn Memorial Stadium before the Skyhawks move into a new home next year, and that seemed like a pretty cool thing to be a part of, and so I decided to risk the rain.

Weather-wise, it turned out I had nothing to worry about. I had a poncho just in case, but the rain held off through the game and for my drive back to Columbus. The game, at least at the start, looked like it might be a Friday the 13th horror story. A number of unforced errors, including silly penalties and a turnover, gave Fairborn a 7-0 lead with under four minutes left in the first quarter, and it looked like the Trojans hadn't come to play at all. A fired-up Coach Everhart brought the whole team into a huddle on the sideline after the TD and gave a quick, very animated speech to all of them.

It worked. Following the kickoff, star fullback Jahari Ward went 61 yards to the house to the the score. From there, it was all Trojans—despite one last piece of bad luck. As the first quarter was winding down, after another long run, Ward had to be helped off the field with a leg injury and did not return to the game. In his stead, the Trojans turned to a stable of other backs, who, despite limited chances so far this season, turned out to be pretty capable.

I have no doubt that Fairborn's new stadium will be much nicer than this one. I can't speak to the home side, but the visitors' stands are small and cramped. I sat in the top row and still couldn't see about 1/3 of the field over the players on the sideline. That said, I liked coming here, the handful of times I did so. The lighting, always a crapshoot at high school stadiums in my experience, was great, and I'm a sucker for a neighborhood setting. The new place probably won't have that, but if it's easier to see the game, it's probably a fair trade. I look forward to seeing it when the Trojans play there in two years.

Troy 14 Piqua 0

High School Football
Home Team: Troy Trojans
Visiting Team: Piqua High School
Venue: Troy Memorial Stadium
Game Time: 7:00 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: None

67-66-6

Troy 16 Vandalia Butler 7

High School Football
Home Team: Troy Trojans
Visiting Team: Vandalia Butler Aviators
Venue: Troy Memorial Stadium
Game Time: 7:00 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: None

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

Troy 61 Greenville 13

High School Football
Home Team: Troy Trojans
Visiting Team: Greenville Green Wave
Venue: Troy Memorial Stadium
Game Time: 7:00 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: None

Troy 25 Sidney 7

High School Football
Home Team: Sidney Yellow Jackets
Visiting Team: Troy Trojans
Venue: Sidney Memorial Stadium
Game Time: 7:00 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: None

Piqua 59 Troy 0

High School Football
Home Team: Piqua High School
Visiting Team: Troy Trojans
Venue: Alexander Stadium (Piqua, Ohio)
Game Time: 7:00 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: None

Troy 32 Piqua 6

High School Football
Home Team: Troy Trojans
Visiting Team: Piqua Indians
Venue: Troy Memorial Stadium
Game Time: 7:00 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: None

Read my thoughts here.

Troy 42 Greenville 0

High School Football
Home Team: Troy Trojans
Visiting Team: Greenville Green Wave
Venue: Troy Memorial Stadium
Game Time: 7:00 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: None

Read my thoughts here.

Troy 48 Sidney 21

High School Football
Home Team: Sidney Yellowjackets
Visiting Team: Troy Trojans
Venue: Sidney Memorial Stadium
Game Time: 7:00 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: None

Read my thoughts here.

Troy 31 Miamisburg 21

High School Football
Home Team: Miamisburg Vikings
Visiting Team: Troy Trojans
Venue: Holland Field (Miamisburg, Ohio)
Game Time: 7:00 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: None

Read my thoughts here.

Bellefontaine 30 Troy 22

High School Football
Home Team: Troy Trojans
Visiting Team: Bellefontaine Chieftains
Venue: Troy Memorial Stadium
Game Time: 7:00 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: None

Read my thoughts here.

Trotwood-Madison 48 Troy 0

High School Football
Home Team: Trotwood-Madison Rams
Visiting Team: Troy Trojans
Venue: Good Samaritan SportsPlex (Trotwood, Ohio)
Game Time: 7:00 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: None

Read my thoughts here.

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.