Trojans celebrate Homecoming with win over Plains
Troy Trojans quarterback Trevor Grant finds room to run in the Homecoming game against Plains on Friday night. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
Troy's Derek Cole thought he had a touchdown catch against Plains on Friday night, but a penalty nullified it. Later, Cole recovered a fumble by a Horseman player to seal a 52-46 win on Homecoming. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
Troy's Paxton Fisher leaves several Plains defenders in his wake on a long touchdown run at the Homecoming game against Plains on Friday night. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
Troy junior Derek Cole recovered a Plains fumble at the Trojans 5-yard line with 19 seconds left to seal a 52-46 win on homecoming Friday night.
Cole’s recovery capped a wild game as the Trojans picked up their first win of the 2022 season. The recovery was the second one in the fourth quarter for the Trojans. Freshman Carson Orr pounced on a Plains’ fumble at the Trojan 14-yard line with about three minutes left to play.
Seniors Trevor Grant and Paxton Fisher gave the Trojans (1-3) a 52-46 lead with 4:04 to play. Grant scored on a 1-yard run and Fisher’s conversion run brought Troy back from a 46-44 deficit.
Troy beat the Horsemen (0-3) in 2021, but this one was a lot tougher than last year’s 56-14 triumph.
Plains junior Nicholas Hill returned the opening kickoff 60 yards for a touchdown and 6-0 lead, but the Trojans answered quickly.
Grant got Troy’s opening possession rolling with a 19-yard run before capping it with a 2-yard TD run. Grant found Fisher for the conversion and a 8-6 lead. After the Trojans got the ball back, Grant ran for a 5-yard TD. Carson Orr’s conversion pass to Emerson Downey made it 16-6 with 7:28 left in the first quarter.
Hill returned the ensuing kickoff for another TD as Plains pulled within two points. The Horsemen took a 22-16 lead when Hill ran for an 18-yard score and Levi Blood picked up the conversion.
But the Trojan’s deficit didn’t last long. Fisher got to the corner and outraced the defense to the end zone for a 60-yard TD. Fisher ran in the conversion to put Troy up 24-22.
On Troy’s next possession, Cole caught a TD pass from Grant but a holding penalty nullified the score. But two plays later, Grant scored on a 7-yard run and the Trojans led 30-22 with 10:47 left in the first half.
But Plains quickly tied the game at 30-30 when Blood raced home for a 35-yard TD and Mason Elliott scored on the conversion.
Fisher and Grant connected for a 35-yard TD pass play and Grant’s run for the conversion made it 38-30.
But the Horsemen tied it shortly before halftime when Elliott scored on a 10-yard run with 34 seconds left.
Plains scored its final touchdown of the game with 5:49 left in the third quarter when Blood took it in from two yards out and then added the conversion run for a 46-38 lead.
The Trojans lost the ball on a fumble on the next possession, but the Trojans defense held.
Troy got back in the game when Grant scored on a 2-yard TD run with 11:06 left to pull the hosts within two points, 46-44.
The Trojans took the lead for good when Grant scored on a 1-yard run with 4:04 left in the game. Fisher’s conversion run made it 52-46.
On the next possession, Plains reached the Troy 28-yard when a fumble was recovered by Orr.
Plains forced a punt and got the ball back at the Troy 36. The Horsemen were inside the 10 with a first-and-goal with a little less than 30 seconds left. Cole recovered a fumble, Grant needed two kneel downs to ice the win.
Grant ran for five touchdowns and he also threw one to Fisher. Fisher had one TD run. Cole also recovered a fumble in the first half.
Fisher was named homecoming king while Elaine Folkerts was named the queen.
The Trojans are back in action Friday, Sept. 30, when they play at Valley Christian.
