SHIREMANSTOWN — After a back-and-forth first half that saw the defenses on both sides make big plays, Trinity went to a power running game in second half and it was very successful.
The Shamrocks bullied Greencastle-Antrim for three straight touchdowns after halftime to capture a 28-6 Mid Penn Colonial victory at COBO Field on Friday night.
Wyatt Hull
Trinity (5-3, 4-1 MPC) used a wildcat formation on its first possession of the second half with big running back Brandon Harris (6-1, 230) taking the snaps. He carried 5 consecutive plays and ended the 49-yard drive with a 3-yard run to bump the Shamrocks’ lead to 14-6.
“We hadn’t seen that look from them, but we knew what they were doing,” G-A coach Jason Thurston said.
Then came a damaging possession by Greencastle (4-4, 2-3 MPC). Facing third-and 1 at their own 33, the Blue Devils threw an incomplete pass, then tried to pick up that yard on fourth down, but Spencer Long was stopped short.
It took 9 plays for Trinity to score from there, with a fourth-and-3 completion from QB Makai George to tight end Adam Dalton of 6 yards keeping the drive alive. George rolled to his left to find the end zone from 3 yards out and it was quickly 21-6.
Early in the fourth quarter, the Shamrocks faced a third-and-7 at the Greencastle 20. George lifted a pass to the back of the end zone toward Nick Sweppenhiser. Blue Devil back Iverson Stoner made a good recovery on the ball and was able to get a hand up and tip the ball into the air.
Unfortunately, while Stoner’s momentum carried him over the end line, Sweppenhiser was able to locate the ball and made a catch in the end zone. That play pretty much sealed the game at 28-6.
On its first three series in the second half, Greencastle was only able to muster 10 yards of offense. For the entire second half, it gained just 53 yards.
Thurston said, “We did some good things on offense in the first half, but came out a little flat in the second. They were bringing a lot of pressure up the middle, and we tried to use that to our advantage by going outside. But they chased us down with their speed. We looked a little slow tonight.”
The first half was much kinder to the Blue Devils. An interception by Luke Hull halted Trinity’s first possession, and a G-A punt that hit a Shamrock player on the bounce was recovered by Greencastle’s Ivan Mason. But neither turnover resulted in points for Greencastle.
On the Blue Devils’ lone scoring march, they began on their own 34. A pair of runs by Long gained 18 yards and a pass interference call on Trinity was good for another first down. Landon Kagarise ran for a 10-yard gain, but G-A faced a third-and-3 from the Trinity 20.
Quarterback Gavin Logsdon saw Wyatt Hull coming open in the left corner of the end zone and hit him in stride for a touchdown.
Greencastle nearly took a lead into halftime thanks to a big play that could have been even bigger.
The defense stopped the Shamrocks at the G-A 24 with 2:48 left in the half. On first down, the Blue Devils ran a double reverse, with Iverson Stoner pulling up and throwing downfield to Wyatt Hull. He caught the ball, shed a defender by turning up field and had nobody in front of him. However, he was judged to have stepped out of bounds right in front of the Blue Devils’ bench at the Trinity 38.
“I think he just barely stepped out,” Thurston said, “by just a sliver of his foot.”
However, despite running 10 more plays in the drive, and getting help from a Trinity pass interference call, the Blue Devils were stymied and the half ended on downs at the 37.
The Shamrocks were called for 10 penalties for 105 yards, including 3 defensive pass interference calls and one offensive pass interference call.
But Greencastle was nailed for a chop block, 3 intentional grounding penalties, threw two interceptions and had one punt partially blocked.
The Blue Devils play at East Pennsboro next Friday.
“We’ll have to win those last two,” Thurston said. “And they’re both winnable games.”
Trinity 28, Greencastle-Antrim 6
Greencastle 0 6 0 0 — 6
Trinity 7 0 14 7 — 28
First Quarter
T — Brandon Harris 7 run (Patrick O’Neil kick), N/A
Second Quarter
GA — Wyatt Hull 20 pass from Gavin Logsdon (pass failed), N/A
Third Quarter
T — Harris 3 run (O’Neil kick), N/A
T — Makai George 3 run (O’Neil kick), 4:02
Fourth Quarter
T — Nick Sweppenhiser 26 pass from George (O’Neil kick), N/A