Football: Trojans Ride Reserve QB, Scoring Surge, to Fifth Straight Win

In a Southeast-Yellow sub-district affair, visiting Rochester-Lourdes got a 4-yard Chase Carroll TD run to make the score 14-12 with 1:37 in the first half. But when the clock read zeros at intermission, R-P led 28-12. They then scored right out of intermission for a 21-to-0 surge that swung an otherwise back-and-forth game. After Carroll moved the Eagles within two, R-P got a 39-yard Jaxon Johnson run, then a 22-yard Ayden Garrett to Cole Thompson TD pass with 0:38 left in the half to go ahead 21-12 (as Garrett added the PAT). On Lourdes’ second play, Brode Vickerman sacked Carroll and forced a fumble that Chace Drazkowski recovered at the Eagle 32. A 21-yard Garrett pass to J-Johnson led to the final play with 0:01 on the clock. Garrett scrambled in from 11-yards out for the TD. With PAT, the Trojans went to half up 28-12. Robbie Strand’s group then got the opening kick-off of the second half and went 77 yards in six plays. A J-Johnson 16-yard TD run plus Garrett PAT made it 35-12. After exchanging the first four scores of the game, they then exchanged the final four, as the Trojans posted their fifth straight win by a comfortable 49-26 final. The big offensive line of Vickerman, Drazkowski, Levi Kammerer, Brody Gellerson, and Jero Kuss helped R-P to rush for 396 yards. Owen Lange (14-154, TD rushing) and J-Johnson (11-115, TD rushing) each topped the century mark. Lange had a 53-yard TD scamper. Carson Johnson (10-85, 2 TDs rushing) almost topped the century mark. The Trojans were controlling in victory despite playing without starting QB Creighton Hoiness (injury). Reserve junior Ayden Garrett (2 of 3, 43 yards, TD passing; 5-29, 2 TDs rushing) accounted for three scores plus an interception while making 7 of 7 PATs. Defensively, Drazkowski added a sack and C-Johnson an interception. Carroll (7 of 14, 123 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs passing; 17-98, 2 TDs rushing) accounted for all four Eagle scores. R-P (4-1, 5-1) maintains its spot in second place in the Southeast-Yellow behind Caledonia (5-0, 6-0). Chatfield (3-2, 4-2) and Dover-Eyota (3-2, 4-2) are tied for third.