Physical Trion trips Ramblers

LaFAYETTE, Ga. — After a sluggish opening-week loss, Trion football coach David Humphreys went Olivia Newton-John on his team during practice this week.

The veteran coach didn’t don leather pants or break into song, but he did get his message across: Let’s get physical.

The Bulldogs used a methodical ground game and suffocating defense Friday night to post an impressive 21-0 win at LaFayette. The visitors rushed for 224 yards and held the Ramblers to 96 total yards. Trion (1-1) ran 56 plays to 27 for LaFayette (1-1).

“That was our challenge to the kids this week, especially to our offensive line folks,” Humphreys said of the veteran starting line of Nick Coker (out last week due to injury), Trevor Flanigan, Dwayne Daggett, Colt Moore and Justin Baker. “We had a lot of missed assingments last week. Those guys have played a lot of football, but I don’t think they’ve played one that intense. We moved the line of scrimmage all night, and that was the key.”

The dominance started early with an 11-play, 64-yard drive late in the first quarter — including a 19-yard pass from Hayden Tucker to Hunter Ivester on fourth-and-12 at the LaFayette 24. Two plays later, Austin McGraw scored from the 2.

Trion went 67 yards in 14 plays on its next possession, with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Tucker to Tanner Heyer. Running back Cody Simpson had 20 of his game-high 116 rushing yards on the drive that ate up nearly nine minutes.

On a play befitting the night for the Ramblers, Jarrod Beamon returned the ensuing kickoff to the Trion 43 but was in the clear for a touchdown before he slipped and fell. The drive stalled after two penalties halted any momentum the team had.

The Bulldogs put the game out of reach on their only possession of the third quarter. Simpson’s 46-yard run started the 92-yard drive, which ended when Tucker and his favorite target, Heyer, connected on a 27-yard touchdown pass on fourth down. The 6-foot-3 receiver outjumped two defenders.

“Tanner is a great weapon, and he made two great plays,” Tucker said. “But our line led us all night. We wanted to go right at them until they stopped us. This is a great win, especially after last week.”

Leading the Trion defense was linebacker Austin McGraw, who had seven tackles, two for loss. LaFayette linebacker Koran Dyer had 15 tackles.