Rams Roll To Semifinals
The top-seeded Turpin Spartans were no match for the sixth-seeded Trotwood-Madison Rams, as the Rams defeated the Spartans 42-14 Friday night to win the Division II, Region 8 championship.
Trotwood-Madison (11-2) gained possession pinned deep in their own territory with two minutes remaining in the half. It looked as if the game would be tied 7-7 going into halftime, but the Rams offense drove the ball 78 yards to make the score 14-7 as the first half came to a close.
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Rams' running back Israel Green broke free to pick up 49 yards on the ground before being pushed out of bounds at the Turpin 20-yard line with three seconds remaining on the clock.
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Trotwood-Madison elected to take a shot at the end zone instead of kicking a field goal. Freshman quarterback Messiah DeWeaver scrambled to the left and threw a pass towards the sideline, and sophomore Ryon Lucas made a phenomenal catch over the back of the defender to give Trotwood a seven-point lead going into halftime.
The halftime lead gave Trotwood-Madison the momentum for the remainder of the game as they went on to outscore Turpin 28-7 in the second half.
The Rams had three running backs each score touchdowns in the game. Green rushed for two scores while Ashton Jackson and Breland Cospy each rushed for one. Green carried the ball 19 times for 190 yards, and Jackson finished with 73 yards on nine carries. DeWeaver completed 11 of his 14 passes for 114 yards and two touchdowns, both to Lucas. Demarcus Wilson caught five passes for 20 yards.
Turpin quarterback Connor Jansen struggled in the second half by throwing two interceptions, but he did throw for two touchdowns as well. Jansen completed 15 passes for 193 yards.
Defensively for Trotwood-Madison, linebacker Mike McCray and defensive back Kei Beckham each recorded interceptions in the second half. Cornerbacks Reon Dawson and Cameron Burrows each had key pass breakups that prevented big plays.
McCray and Jackson each suffered injuries in the game and required assistance off the field, but both athletes returned to the game, and there is no reason to believe that either of them will not be active for next week's matchup.
Trotwood-Madison will advance to the state semifinals to make their run for the opportunity of a second state championship in consecutive seasons. The Rams will face the New Albany Eagles (11-2) Friday night at location to be determined.