Troy Rides Strong Defense Past Riverside And Into State Title Game
By: Chris Manning | NTL Sports | November 30, 2024 | Photo courtesy Chris Manning
For 13 of the 14 weeks this season Troy’s offense stole the show, but, much like in their week two win over Dover, it was the defense that took center stage for their 35-14 win over Riverside in the PIAA, Class AA Football semifinals Friday.
The win sets up a title match with Central Clarion, who rolled past South Park 55-0, in the other semifinal. It’s also the first time an NTL team has made it to a football state final.
“It feels so surreal right now, I don’t even know what to think,” Troy’s Evan Woodward remarked.
“It feels awesome, man,” added teammate Eason Teribury. “This is something that not everybody is able to say they have. All the early mornings and late nights, and blood, sweat, and tears and the whole team has put into this thing, and it’s finally going to pay off, and hopefully end up with a ring.”
The key moment came in the third quarter with Troy nursing a one score lead. The Vikings got the second half kick-off and held the ball for 11:19, ran 17 plays, and it all ended in a punt.
“There was an ironclad mindset,” Teribury said about that drive. “As few years as they can get, and they kept pounding, but ultimately, we stood strong, and we did what we do.”
Troy scored a touchdown on their ensuing drive, and Riverside didn’t have any more positive yardage until the game already decided.
“There was a wave of momentum after we stopped them, and then responded with a touchdown, and you could see the momentum change,” said coach Jim Smith. “Our kids started to play loose, and trying to get the crowd up, and their whole demeanor changed. When their demeanor changed we really dominated.”
For three quarters, though, it was anybody’s game. While Troy never trailed in the contest - Lincoln Chimics’ took the opening kick-off 90 yards to the house for a 7-0 Trojan lead - Riverside did tie it at 7-all, and scored a touchdown late in the first half to make it a one score game.
“I think that a big part of the slow start was the big lights, and the big atmosphere, and thousands of people in the state semifinal game,” said Smith. “This is territory we’ve never been a part of, and the emotions ride high, and it can affect your play a little bit. I’m just really proud of how they settled down, and responded in the end.”
Brendan Gilliland led the way with three touchdowns - two rushing, one receiving - as he had 15 carries for 87-yards, while hauling in two catches for 63-yards.
“It’s a great win,” Gilliland said. “We faced some adversity, but overall it’s a really good win for us, and super exciting. One of my dreams is to go to a state final, so we’ve got a big one next week.”
Woodward was 4-for-4 for 99-yards and a score, while running the ball six times for 24-yards and a touchdown. Chimics hauled in two catches for 36-yards.
Other than that it was tough sledding for the Trojan ground game as the Vikings held them to 126-yards on 32 carries.
“They kind of had our number there in the beginning,” said Woodward. “They played fast. Obviously, it’s the state semis, we’re going to play great defenses, and they showed up tonight.”
Smith felt they could have gone to the air more, but, since they were playing with a lead, he didn’t want to jeopardize that.
“I think we really had the advantage throwing the ball, but we were in a spot where I was just trying to protect the lead, and felt like we could get out of here with a win,” he explained. “I didn’t want to see any turnovers, and stuff like that.”
Chase Taddonio led Riverside with 65-yards rushing on 16 carries, while throwing for 121-yards on 11-for-27 with one touchdown, and three picks.
Taddonio had 64-yards in the first half, but Troy held him to one yard on seven carries in the second, thanks to a pair of sacks.
Richie Kostoff was his top target with seven catches for 89-yards, including the score, but the Vikings only amassed 87-yards on the ground off 25 carries.
“It was fun,” Troy’s Jack Burbage said about playing them. “It was fun to go out and play this game. They had some good athletes. We know what they had, we had to shut it down, we just had to go out and play our game.”
The Trojan secondary did a good job down field, with several pass break-ups to go with their three interceptions by Woodward, Chimics, and Joseph Frye.
“We’re really fortunate and blessed to have guys in coverage that don’t need help,” Smith said. “We can put them on an island, and it’s been this way for 15 weeks, and without any help for any of them, and kind of leave everybody else to focus on the box and run support.”
After not being kicked to the last two weeks Riverside sent the opening kick-off deep to Chimics, we found a seam up the middle all the way to pay dirt.
“I’m just so happy for my teammates that gave me the blocks,” said Chimics. “That was all them, I jus thad to run straight.”
So it was Riverside who took their offense out on the field first, and found some success on the ground early. On third-and-4 Kostoff ground his way nine yards up the middle for a new set of downs.
Then, on 4th-and-3 at the Trojan 44 Taddonio found Brady Pavalonis in the flat for a 22-yard gain down to the Trojan 22-yard line.
Troy dug in there, forcing them into a fourth down as Riverside sent Santino D’Amico out to try a 35-yard field goal. It had the distance but was wide left, keeping it a 7-0 contest.
Troy’s first possession with the ball went backwards as a fumbled pitch send them 11-yards back on second down. They would go 3-and-out as Riverside took over at the Troy 36-yard line.
This time the Vikings finishing things off, needing seven plays to get to the end zone, as Taddonio taking it in from three yards out. The key play was a 7-yard run from Taddonio on third-and-5 to keep the drive going.
D’Amino hit the point after to knot the game up at 7-7 with 40.8 seconds left in the first quarter.
The Trojans would answer in their ensuing drive, going 60-yards on 11 plays as Gilliland found pay dirt on a 4-yard run at the end of it.
A 19-yard run by Gilliland on the second play from scrimmage got them inside the Vikings’ territory, then a 12-yard run by Mason Smith on third-and-five kept the drive alive.
A fumble saw them staring down a third-and-13 but the Trojans kept moving, with Woodward getting eight yards on a run, then he found Gilliland for a 10-yard pass play for the first and goal, which set up the two touchdown two plays later.
Lykon-Leffler hit the extra point for a 14-7 lead with 7:25 left in the second quarter.
Riverside would get behind the sticks on their next drive due to a holding call, and Troy forced a punt. The Vikings returned the favor, with Troy going 3-and-out.
On the ensuing Riverside drive on third-and-5 Taddonio found Kostoff for a 27-yard gain, with a personal foul call on Troy tacking on 15 more yards, setting up Riverside inside the Trojan 15-yard line.
Another holding call backed them up 10-yards, then Frye stepped in front of a Taddonio pass and returned the pick to their own 39-yard line.
Troy would be called for holding on their first play from scrimmage, but a personal foul call on Riverside on second down set Troy up at their own 47-yard line.
That’s when they went to the air with Woodward hitting a streaking Gilliland down the center of the field 53-yards to pay dirt.
“We’ve been running that play in practice all week based off their coverage and their defense,” Gilliland said. “It’s not designed for one guy, I just happened to be open over the middle and Evan put a great ball on for me.”
On Woodward’s end he just happened to see a big space right in front of him.
“I just kind of saw the safeties split, and Brendan running down the middle,” he said. “I just put in on him.”
Lykon-Leffler made it 21-0 with the point after with 1:40 left in the second half.
It looked like that would be the halftime score but on third-and-10 on the ensuing Riverside drive Taddonio found space on the quarterback keeper, going 32-yards to the Troy 29-yard line.
Three plays later, on third-and-3, he found a diving Kostoff in the back of the end zone to make it 21-14 after D’Amico’s kick.
Then came the game defining drive in the second half.
Riverside converted on two third downs and two fourth downs as they kept things alive before everything falling apart inside the Trojan 20-yard line.
A sack by Reed Palmer on the second play from scrimmage put the Vikings behind the eight ball early, but after an offsides call on Troy Taddonio found Kostoff for an 8-yard gain and a new set of downs on third-and-long.
They faced a third-and-10 after that, but Taddonio hit Kostoff for a 19-yard gain to move the sticks, setting them up at the Troy 43-yard line.
An 8-yard run by Carmelo Barnett gave Riverside some momentum, but back to back plays of no gain forced to convert on fourth-and-short with a Taddonio 4-yard run.
Four straight runs saw them convert on another 4th-and-short, getting down to the Trojan 19-yard line.
However, an illegal man downfield on their next play pushed them back to the 24-yard line. After Taddonio incomplete pass the real momentum changer was on second down when Gilliland sacked Taddonio 10-yards deep.
A fumbled exchange on third down would push the Vikings back another yard, forcing them to punt.
“It took all of us on defense, it wasn’t just one guy,” Burbage said about the stop. “It took us all. It was amazing to go out there and play with all them, I’m proud of them all.”
“It was kind of a bend don’t break situation,” Woodward added. “It was a long drive but we were able to stand strong, and get the stop.”
Troy was pinned back at their own 9-yard line, but three straight Gilliland runs moved the sticks for them.
However, two minimal gains over the next two downs saw Troy staring at third-and-8. They decided to take a shot, with Woodward targeting Chimics deep down the sideline. Chimics initially bobbled the ball, but didn’t drop it, corralling the pass for a 41-yard gain.
“It was open all second half, but it came in really clutch when we needed it,” said Chimics.
Back to back runs by Gilliland and Kael Millard took the ball down to the 29-yard line. However, a no gain run on third down made it 4th-and-2.
That’s when they sent Gilliland out wide left. Initially it looked like Riverside was going to stop him behind the line of scrimmage, but he broke a tackle, then found a seam all the way to the pylon for his third score of the game.
“I kind of got outside, and then I saw a little lane inside,” he said. “I almost got tripped up there, and then after I broke that I just saw open field and got to the end zone.”
Lykon-Leffler added the point after and it was 28-14 with 7:11 left to play.
The ensuing Riverside drive began with two incompletions, and end with an interception by Chimics.
“They got me in the second quarter on a touchdown to number 87,” Chimics said. “He’s a very good player, but I wasn’t pressing like I should have been in the first half. In the second half I switched it up, and I was pressing, and I felt I did a lot better job. I just saw the ball go up, and went up and got it.”
The Vikings kept their hopes alive by forcing a 3-and-out on Troy, getting the ball back at their own 34-yard line with 4:50 left to play.
However, it went like the previous drive, two incompletions, and then an interception, this time by Woodward.
He got back inside the 15-yard line, with Troy running Gilliland three straight times to take it to the five. On 4th-and-one Woodward went with the sneak, and followed his center Micah Pesesky all the way to the endzone for the game clinching touchdown.
“I think we just needed a second to regroup in the locker room at halftime,” Teribury said about their second half resurgence. “I feel like it kind of threw everybody off not going to school first, and having a normal routine. We just went back to the Trojan way, pounding the football.”
Lykon-Leffler finished the day perfect on extra points for the 35-14 lead with 2:32 to go.
“It’s the first time in school history,” Burbage said about them punching their ticket to the state finals. “But the jobs not finished.”
They take on a dominant Central Clarion team that has been mercy ruling people through the state playoffs.
“We’re going to break this next game like we have the last 15,” Smith said. “We don’t know a whole lot about this team, other than they’re a really good team. They’ve been blowing everybody out every week. They got a super quarterback, and a big line. We’re going to take a look at them, and we’re going to prepare for them just like we have everybody else, and treat them the same way, and trust in what we do, and go out there, and just do our best.”
The players know this next week will have to be their best week of practice all season.
“We’re going to have to have a great week of practice, and have to watch some film this weekend,” Woodward said. “We’re going to have to be ready for Friday.”
