(KWMN)- The Rushford-Peterson Trojans took the road to face Kenyon-Wanamingo last Friday, claiming a comeback victory over the once-undefeated Knights.
It was a slow start to the game for the Trojans, something this team has had problems with through the first two games of the season. Luckily in this one, it was punts, not turnovers to start the game.
K-W opened the scoring with a six-play 45-yard drive and converted on the two-point conversion to go up 8-0. Rushford answered on the ensuing possession, making it 8-7 after a 13-yard touchdown pass from Riley Tesch to Sampson Wilkemeyer, his first touchdown of the season.
Rushford was the first to strike in the 3rd quarter but a quick answer from the Knights allowed K-W to take the lead, 14-13. Late in the 4th quarter, the Trojans found themselves down one point. That changed on a five-play, 79-yard drive capped off by Grady Hengel’s second touchdown of the night, making the score 19-14 with little time left.
The Rushford defense forced a turnover-on-downs on the Knight’s final possession to take home the W.
Head Coach for the Trojans, Davin Thompson, said he was really happy with how his team played following the loss a week before,
“I thought we played more physical, especially in the 2nd half. We had a physical week at practice and we wanted to bring that to the game…[I was] Really impressed with how the kids responded not only in practice throughout the week but in the game Friday as well.”
There was a clear shift in the offense’s ability to move the football. In the loss against Fillmore Central, the Trojan offense couldn’t find anything going offensively which is one of the bigger reasons why the Trojans lost to Fillmore. Against K-W, that wasn’t the case. The offense found its rhythm, especially in the rushing attack. Coupling Hengle and Jonah Bunke in the backfield, the two speedsters found the holes with ease en route to 216 yards on the ground for the Trojans. Davin Thompson said of the offensive improvement,
“I think just simplifying…As coaches being able to say ‘hey we’re gonna grind a little bit here, we have to be okay with punting the ball’…We just gotta let these guys get in a rhythm. The ability to just stay in that rhythm, I think we figured that out in the 2nd half and I think it’s something we can build on heading into this week.”
Thompson mentioned that in the Fillmore Central game, the offense had too many packages and formations, something he took ownership of. The simplification of the offense was the biggest reason the offense was able to get into that rhythm, now they just have to learn to be consistent. Something that comes with more reps. After all, this team hasn’t played a lot together, and one can easily notice the improvement from each of the three games this season.
With a great offensive performance to build off of, the focus for the Trojans shifts to the matchup with Wabasha-Kellogg. A team that is known for hiding the football from the defense in their wingback formation, not allowing the defense to see which way it’s going. That’s the focus for the Trojans in practice the week. When asked about the keys to the game Thompson provided a very simple answer, “Do your job, then fly.”
The Trojans will kick off week three this Friday, at home, coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. Kickoff at 7:00 p.m. only on the Winona Sports Network, 99.3 FM.
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