TIU Football earns 32-12 win over Waldorf
Greg Gorham
Box Score Box Score | Season Stats
DEERFIELD, Ill. -- On a blustery Saturday afternoon, the Trinity International defense nearly pitched a shutout, giving up just two late fourth-quarter scores as the Trojans defeated the Waldorf Warriors, 32-12 at Leslie Frazier Field. The Trojans held Waldorf to just 254 yards of total offense, the lowest amount by an opponent in five games.
Both teams suffered from a bit of fumblitis, as the ball hit the turf eight times in the game between the two offenses. Overall, the turnover battled ended up even, as TIU lost a pair of fumbles, but picked off two Waldorf passes in the game.
Quarterback Stephen Anderson had his best game of the season, completing 24 passes for 277 yards, both season-high totals, and three touchdowns on the day. Wideout Cory Windle caught two of those TD passes, finishing with four receptions and a career-high 75 yards. Senior Cristian Robinson led the Trojans with 10 catches, 120 yards and one touchdown reception of his own.
It was the TIU defensive unit that was on display Saturday, however; the Trojans, who rank 4th in the NAIA coming into the game in rush defense, had another stellar performance. The Waldorf rushers were limited to just 24 yards on the ground on 24 carries. The Warriors picked up just two first downs all day on the ground, and 13 overall, and were only 1-for-12 on third down conversions in the game.
Defensive lineman Vincent Aguilar led TIU with nine tackles in the win, including two tackles for loss and one sack. Kyle Mowen and Johnathan Mullins both had a team-high 2.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, pushing the Waldorf offense back a combined 29 yards. Linebackers Ethan Ming and John Melton each had interceptions in the game as well.
Both offenses were slow to start, as the game's first five drives ended in punts. The Trojans had the first chance to put points on the board, but Jeremiah Carter's 31-yard field goal was missed just to the left. The Trojans forced another punt on the following Waldorf drive, then opened the second quarter with a 32-yard touchdown pass from Anderson to Windle. The extra point was missed but TIU had the early 6-0 advantage.
After forcing the third of six total three-and-outs on the Warrior offense, TIU got the ball back on their own 10 yard line; the Trojans marched all 90 yards in 14 plays for the touchdown, as Windle caught his second TD of the day from five yards out to put his team ahead 13-0. That score would remain as both teams finished out the first half.
Trinity International nearly made it a three-possession game at the start of the second half, when a 30-yard pass to Robinson would have put the Trojans inside the red zone. Before Robinson went down, though, the ball popped loose, allowing WC's Quamel Johnson to recover the fumble in the Waldorf end zone. Johnson ran the ball back out, but fumbled the ball himself deep in Warrior territory. Cory Evans picked up the second fumble for Waldorf, giving his team possession at the end of easily one of the crazier plays of the season. The Waldorf offense moved the ball 29 yards on the subsequent drive, but finished with a punt on fourth down near midfield.
Ming picked off his first pass of the season in the third quarter, picking the ball off inside the Waldorf 15 yard line as the Warriors worked to get the ball out of their own deep territory. Ming took the ball all the way for the pick-six, the first defensive TD of the year for the Trojans, putting his team ahead 19-0.
Robinson scored the next two touchdowns for TIU on very different plays. The senior put his team ahead 26-0 early in the fourth quarter when running back Andrew Florivil rushed for a gain of about 16 yards, but then fumbled inside the Waldorf red zone. Robinson came away with the fumble while still on his feet at the 14-yard line, and took off for the end zone and the touchdown. After another three-and-out for Waldorf, Robinson caught a 9-yard touchdown pass from Anderson for the 32-0 lead.
The Warriors closed out the fourth quarter with 12 unanswered points on a pair of touchdowns. First, backup quarterback Sam Fisk capped off an 8-play, 54-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to James Loydd. On their next drive, the Warriors then completed 80 yards in just six plays, as Fisk went to Loydd again, this time for a 26-yard touchdown catch. The Trojans then recovered an onside kick with less than four minutes to play, clinching the win for TIU.
Florivil had a solid day on the ground, coming up just shy of the century mark with 98 yards on 21 carries.
The Trojans improve their record to 2-2 in the MSFA Midwest League, and 5-3 overall. The five wins this season are the most by any team in the Kirk Wherritt era (2010- ), and the most for TIU since 2004. Their two wins in league play is the most for the Trojans since 2006. Waldorf falls to 1-7 on the year, and 0-3 in the MSFA Midwest.
Trinity International will take next weekend off before heading to Chicago on November 9, to face St. Xavier. Kickoff against the Cougars is set for 1:00 p.m.
