Football: Johnson’s Massive Effort Leads R-P Over Triton

Rushford-Peterson and Triton competed in a week two Southeast Yellow battle. With 62 total points scored, the teams went back-and-forth. Triton scored on its second drive, converting three fourth downs (including one by Trojan encroachment penalty). On 4th and 6 from the 29, Graden Thomas hit Braxton Koss for a 29-yard score. With PAT, the Cobras led 7-0. R-P replied just minutes later, getting big runs from Carson Johnson (43 yards) and Jaxon Johnson (26 yards). An Owen Lange 1-yard plunge, plus Ayden Garrett PAT tied the score 7-7 late in the first quarter. The Trojans were the only team to score in the second quarter. A 7-play, 52-yard drive, all on the ground, was capped by a C-Johnson 18-yard TD run. With Garrett PAT, R-P led 14-7. But that lead held at the half by the most tenuous circumstance. Triton’s ensuing drive got a huge kick via Christian Miranda-Valdez 63-yard kick-off return. The Cobras later had 1st and goal at the 1-yard line, but fumbled and Lange recovered. It was probably the game’s most critical play, keeping R-P ahead at the break. Triton then tied the game with their first second half drive. It took just two plays. Thomas hit Koss, who made a move and was gone; an 83-yard TD connection (with PAT) making it 14-14. But R-P then marched, going 64-yards in eight plays. Creighton Hoiness capped things with a 4-yard TD run. Garrett’s kick was again true, putting team green up 21-14 (3:16). But in a wild third quarter marked by four total touchdowns, two more remained. Triton got another huge pass play, a Thomas to Jackson Kraemer 59-yard TD connection. With a Miranda-Valdez kick, it was again tied 21-21 (2:59). R-P scored just three plays later. C-Johnson ripped a 57-yard run and J-Johnson followed with a 9-yard TD run. Heading to the fourth, R-P led 27-21. One Cobra drive ate up most of the final stanza’s clock. They had a 14-play series that started as far back as their own 8-yardline and made the R-P 32. But a trio of incompletions ended the threat. Five plays, later C-Johnson delivered one nail in the coffin, a 35-yard TD run that made it 34-21 Trojans (2:00). After Triton got a 50-yard Koss TD-run (1:23), Cole Thompson recovered the Cobras’ desperation onside-kick for the final nail. Rallying from a tough week one overtime loss at Caledonia, and redeeming a pair of losses to the Cobras last year (including in the play-offs), Robbie Strand’s group prevailed 34-28. C-Johnson, a 6’0” 175-pound senior, ran for 270 yards and two scores on 17 carries. J-Johnson (9-59, TD rushing) and Lange (9-58, TD rushing) were also big help as 383 of R-P’s 396 total yards came on the ground. They only completed one pass. Triton used Thomas, a 6’4” senior QB, a lot overall (12 of 24, 226 yards, 3 TDs passing; 20-86 rushing). Koss (4-124, 2 TDs receiving, 6-67, TD rushing) and Kraemer (3-74, TD receiving) were his top targets, his biggest help. Triton amassed 372 yards of total offensive in a more balanced fashion. The Trojans improved to 1-1 in the Yellow and overall.