NEWS CHRONICLE PHOTO BY STEVE BRANT - STC senior Marcus Bear runs with the ball on a first quarter fake punt that resulted in a 58-yard touchdown.

The STC football team was searching for a spark when they traveled to Bloomfield to face the Davis County Mustangs on Friday, October 17. Enter senior Marcus Bear.

With STC down 7-0 early, and their offense stalled on their first two possessions, the Trojans lined up to punt on their own 42 yard-line. But STC ran a fake punt–a snap to sophomore quarterback Ryan Brant, who handed the ball off to Bear. Bear ran the ball 58 yards for a touchdown, bowling over defenders along the way. The STC sideline was visibly fired up, as Bear gave the team the wake-up call they were looking for.

With the newly found momentum, the Trojan defense forced the Mustangs to punt on their next two possessions. Meanwhile, the STC offense started rolling. A 80-yard rush by junior Eli Cruikshank set up a one yard touchdown run by junior Eric Medina. On their next possession, Brant found senior Nick Upah for a 25-yard touchdown reception. By early in the second quarter, the Trojans had built a 23-7 lead.

Davis County threatened to climb back in the game when Brant threw an interception. The Mustangs promptly took the ball and drove for a touchdown to put the score at 23-14. But STC sophomore Izak Schroeder ran the ensuing kickoff back 78 yards for a touchdown to push the score to 30-14, and the Trojans never looked back.

A Bear interception lead to a 30-yard field goal by Medina to set the halftime score at 33-14. In the second half, STC scores included a 1-yard rush by Bear, a 65-yard rush by Medina, and a 2-yard rush by Upah. The Mustangs added a late touchdown but the Trojans ran away with a dominate 52-21 victory.

NEWS CHRONICLE PHOTO BY STEVE BRANT - STC senior co-captain Nick Upah hauls in a 25-yard touchdown pass.

On the evening, Medina finished with 19 carries, 184 yards, and 2 touchdowns. He was followed by Cruikshank (89 yards), Bear (59 yards), Schroeder (25 yards), and junior Michael Henry (23 yards). Brant finished with 27 yards passing and 1 touchdown pass. Upah scored 2 touchdowns–1 receiving and 1 rushing. On the defensive side, STC was once again led by junior Kyle Youngbear, who recorded 11.5 tackles. Following him were: Henry (8.5), sophomore Sam Garcia (6), senior Garrett Surman (6), and Bear (6).

With the victory, the Trojans finished the regular season with a record of 5-3 overall and 3-2 within their district (class 2A, district #7). STC only had six wins in the previous five seasons combined. This year’s five wins are their most wins in the regular season in a decade (2015).

Knowing they had secured a playoff spot prior to the Davis County game, the Trojans’ playoff matchup was announced on Saturday, October 18, immediately after their victory over the Mustangs. STC will travel to Van Meter on Friday night, October 24 to face the Bulldogs (6-2). The game will begin at 7:00 p.m. at Van Meter high school. The Bulldogs finished the regular season tied with Clarinda in class 2A, district #8, with a record of 4-1. But with Clarinda’s 17-14 win over Van Meter on September 26th, the Bulldogs finished in second place. The Bulldogs are rated #9 in class 2A by the most recent IHSAA poll.

NEWS CHRONICLE PHOTO BY STEVE BRANT - STC junior Eric Medina finds running room against Davis County.  Medina finished with 184 yards rushing on the night.

NEWS CHRONICLE PHOTO BY STEVE BRANT - Trojan junior Eli Cruickshank (left), junior Kyle Youngbear (center), and senior Garrett Surman (right) pursue the Davis County ball carrier.

NEWS CHRONICLE PHOTO BY STEVE BRANT - STC sophomore quarterback Ryan Brant calls out signals against Davis County.