NEWS CHRONICLE PHOTO BY STEVE BRANT – STC senior Marcus Bear breaks out into the open after a reception on the Trojan's first play from scrimmage against PCM.

As the STC football team entered the middle portion of their schedule, they faced their toughest test of the season on Friday, Sept. 26: a visit by the Prairie City-Monroe Mustangs. Ranked #2 in Class 2A by the newly released IHSAA rankings, PCM looked to live up to their ranking in a matchup of two teams with a 1-0 record in Class 2A, District 7.

The Trojans started the game with the ball and got off to a good offensive start. Back-to-back completions by sophomore quarterback Ryan Brant, to senior Marcus Bear (29 yards) and senior co-captain Nick Upah (10 yards), advanced the ball to the PCM 34-yard line. But a bobbled snap on third down stalled the STC drive, and they were forced to punt.

The Mustangs wasted no time asserting their offensive strength, as sophomore running back Lewis Daye gained all 87 yards on the ground (including a 67-yard touchdown run) to give PCM a quick 6-0 lead.

STC’s offense found yardage tough to come by in the remainder of the first half. On their remaining six first half possessions, the Trojans were forced to punt five times. Coming into the game, junior running back Eric Medina was fourth in Class 2A in rushing with 556 yards, but PCM’s defense consistently found ways to limit Medina’s impact on the night.

Meanwhile, the Mustang’s offense continued to increase their lead, scoring on four other first half possessions. On a fifth possession, a PCM fumble was recovered by Bear. By the end of the half, the Mustangs took a commanding 33-0 lead into the halftime break.

NEWS CHRONICLE PHOTO BY STEVE BRANT – STC sophomore quarterback Ryan Brant hands the ball off to junior running back Eric Medina against PCM. Senior Marcus Bear leads the way in blocking (left).

Coming into the second half, the Trojans looked to climb back into the game. They got off to a good start when, on PCM’s opening drive, junior defensive back Michael Henry intercepted a pass for STC. But the PCM defense continued to frustrate the Trojan offense for most of the game. STC’s lone score of the game came late in the fourth quarter when Brant found Upah with a 14-yard touchdown pass. PCM added a late score in the half, which allowed them to pull away to a victory by the final score of 41-7.

On the night, Medina was limited to 28 yards on 13 rushes. Junior Eli Cruikshank added 21 yards rushing on two carries. Brant finished 8/12 with 65 yards passing, including one touchdown and one interception. Upah led the team with 3 receptions for 26 yards and a touchdown.

On defense, STC was led by junior co-captain Kyle Youngbear, who had a dominating performance with 18.5 tackles. With that tally, Youngbear, at this point in the season, moved into fifth place in all of Class 2A in tackles (47). Other leaders in tackles against PCM included Henry (8.5), Brant (6), senior Drew Mellies (5), and sophomore Ethan Page (5).

Up next for the Trojans (3-2) is a trip to Centerville (5-0) on Friday, Oct. 3. Centerville is rated #6 in Class 2A in the IHSAA rankings.

NEWS CHRONICLE PHOTO BY STEVE BRANT – STC junior Michael Henry returns a kickoff against PCM.

NEWS CHRONICLE PHOTO BY STEVE BRANT – STC senior Marcus Bear (10) strips the ball from a PCM running back. Senior Josh Strong (70) seeks to recover the fumble.

NEWS CHRONICLE PHOTO BY STEVE BRANT – STC junior running back Eric Medina is tackled against PCM. Medina finished with 28 yards on 13 carries in the game.