With a much more developed roster, Clear Spring (Md.) took down Trinity 44-31 during the Warriors’ Homecoming game on Friday night.
The Blazers dressed 41 players, while Trinity has dealt with a limited roster all season and dressed just 13.
The discrepancy in size, experience, and depth showed, as Clear Spring dominated in the trenches to pick up its first victory of the season.
The Blazers (1-6) took the opening kickoff and, employing an ultra-compact Double Wing offensive formation, gashed through the Warriors’ line in eight plays.
Running back Sammy Stonebraker swept through the right side for the initial 15-yard score. After trading three-and-outs, Trinity (5-3) drove deep into Blazers territory — and along the way, Levi Teets surpassed 1,000 yards rushing on the season — before the drive stalled.
Kyle Knight booted a 23-yard field goal to cut the lead to 7-3. Teets finished with 144 yards rushing and two touchdowns.
However, the Blazers scored again, this time on a 37-yard scoring pass from Hunter Oaks to a wide-open Todd Weaver. After forcing another Warriors punt, Stonebraker burst through on an off-tackle run, cut to the post, and sprinted to pay dirt from the 28 to make it 21-3.
Any hope that the Warriors might mount a quick comeback were dashed early when a partially blocked Warriors punt was returned to the 3-yard line, and burly fullback Kenny Nicewarmer bulled in from there.
That was followed immediately by a long interception return that led to another TD pass from Oaks to Weaver for a 28-point Blazer bulge midway through the third.
Teets’ second scoring run was one for the highlights, breaking at least five tackles on a sweep down the far sideline from the 29 to score, but it was not enough on this night.
After the game, Teets was quick to recognize his teammates’ part in his 1,000-yard season.
“I can’t do anything without the rest of the guys blocking for me,” he said, “From the O-line to the receivers down field. It’s really special to know that I’m the first to do it at our school, but it means more to me that we never gave up and kept fighting to the end. It’s what we do every week.”
Trinity head coach Mike McKenzie, who pointed out that he, Teets, and Knight are the only Warriors who remain from the first Trinity football season four years ago, gave credit to the Blazers.
“They came in with a really good game plan, and they executed well,” he explained. “We got caught up in a numbers game, but I’m just super proud of our kids. I called them the mighty 13 for never giving up.”
The Warriors travel to Tygarts Valley next week and then close out the regular season at Weirton Madonna on November 4.
BY MARK SCHRAF
Box score
Clear Spring 7 17 14 6—44
Trinity 0 10 0 21—31
SCORING SUMMARY
CS— Sammy Stonebraker 15 run (Todd Weaver kick)
TC – Kyle Knight 23 FG
CS – Weaver 37 pass from Hunter Oaks (Weaver kick)
CS – Stonebraker 28 run (Weaver kick)
TC – Levi Teets 43 run (Knight kick)
CS – Weaver 31 FG
CS – Kenny Nicewarmer 3 run (Weaver kick)
CS – Weaver 14 pass from Hunter Oaks (Weaver kick)
TC – Teets 23 pass from Knight (Knight kick)
CS – Nicewarmer 4 run (kick failed)
TC – Teets 29 run (Knight kick)
TC – Jorge 14 pass from Knight (Knight kick)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
PASSING: Clear Spring– Oaks 6-10-0 134 2TD. Trinity– Knight 11-18-2 104 2TD, Teets 0-1-0
RUSHING: ClearSpring– Stonebreaker 8-134 2TD, Oaks 6-19, Kenny Nicewarmer 7-76 2TD, Brayden Sims 2-3, Caleb Younker 3-19, Camden Whittington 1-2. Trinity— Knight 17-100, Levi Teets 27-144 2TD, Josh Jorge 4-6.
RECEIVING: Clear Spring– Weaver 2-51 2TD, William Bennett 1-18, Brady Wallace 2-29, Jacob Faith 1-36. Trinity— Teets 4-46 TD, Jorge 7-58 TD.
