NEWS CHRONICLE PHOTOS BY STEVE BRANT – STC's nine senior class members take the field one final time as captains against Van Buren.

On a night when the STC football program honored nine senior players, it was those seniors who shined in their last game on the Trojans’ home football field.

Senior wide receiver Eli Cruikshank caught two touchdown passes, threw for another, recorded an interception, and finished the game with four receptions for 56 yards, on the way to STC’s 50-0 thumping of the visiting Van Buren Warriors.

“It means a lot,” Cruikshank said about the senior-night victory. “To have a win with my teammates on senior night — it was a lot of fun.”

The immediate start to the game wasn’t so fun for the Trojans — as they gave up a fumble to Van Buren on their first play from scrimmage. But STC’s defense immediately stepped up, in what would become a trend in the game. The Trojans forced the Warriors to go three and out — something that they forced them to do on three other occasions in the first half. The other Van Buren possessions in the half included a missed 35-field goal and the clock expiring on them before halftime.

Meanwhile, STC’s offense started moving the ball effectively, beginning with their third possession of the game. During the 12-play scoring drive, the Trojans’ running back duo of senior Eric Medina and junior Izak Schroeder combined for 61 yards rushing. The drive was capped off by one of Cruikshank’s touchdown receptions: a 7-yard touchdown toss from a fellow senior, quarterback Michael Henry.

STC junior running back Izak Schroeder breaks away on a rush against Van Buren.

Henry was making his first career start at quarterback, after junior quarterback Ryan Brant injured his knee in the previous game against Pella Christian and was unable to play against Van Buren.

“It’s been weird — I’ve never played quarterback before,” said Henry after the game. “I never thought I’d be throwing for a touchdown.”

Early in the second quarter, the Trojans pushed the lead to 14-0 when Schroeder broke off a 45-yard touchdown scamper. Late in the same quarter, STC put together another long scoring drive: 77 yards on 13 plays. The drive was completed when Henry found Cruikshank open down the middle of the field for a 28-yard touchdown pass. The Trojans headed into the halftime locker room with a commanding 20-0 lead.

The second half of the game was even more of a dominating performance by STC. With a continuous clock running for a part of the half, the Trojans tacked on 30 more points and continued to shut out the Warriors. Long touchdown runs by Medina (52 yards) and junior Edwyn Perez (24 yards) added to the STC total. In addition, Henry and Cruikshank found their roles reversed, as Cruikshank took a pitch from Henry, and, then, threw the ball back to Henry, for a 37-yard touchdown grab. When the final buzzer sounded, the Trojans had a happy, 50-0 senior night victory.

“The win means a lot,” said Cruikshank, who was forced to sit out much of the previous game against Pella Christian with an injury. “It was rough to not be able to play with my team in such a big game last week,’ he said. ‘But it meant a lot to me to be able to play this week–one last time — with these guys.”

STC senior wide receiver Eli Cruikshank is lifted into the air by senior offensive lineman Manny Cervantes after Cruikshank scored the first of his two receiving touchdowns against Van Buren.

On the night, the Trojans racked up a commanding 359 yards of rushing, with an average of 8.3 yards per carry. Medina carried the ball 22 times for 215 yards. Schroeder added 97 yards on 12 carries.

Henry was quick to credit the offensive line for the rushing attack.

“We ran simple plays tonight and they were working. The line was moving people and we were getting big runs all night,” he said.

The offensive line this season was anchored by three seniors: Anthony Viramontes, Manny Cervantes, and Kyle Youngbear.

Viramontes reflected after the game on the work of his offensive line unit.

STC senior quarterback Michael Henry rushes with the ball against Van Buren.

“We were hungry and upset from last week’s loss to Pella Christian. But this feels great to come out with my teammates and have a win one last time,” he said.

Henry finished the game going 4/5 in passing for 56 yards. He also added 27 yards rushing. The Trojan defense recorded their first shutout of the season — limiting the Warriors to just 18 yards of rushing and 51 yards of passing on the night. Youngbear led STC in tackles with a total of 11 on the night.

With the victory, the Trojans brought their 2026 season to a close. Finishing with a record of 3-5, and 0-4 in their district, STC finished outside of this year’s postseason play. Within their district, four teams qualified for the playoffs: PCM, Centerville, Albia, and Pella Christian. District foe Davis County cancelled their season before week #1, which led to Van Buren being scheduled for the Trojan’s final contest.

Nine STC seniors were honored before the game: Medina, Cruikshank, Chanden Graybeal, Josiah Houghton, Henry, David King, Viramontes, Youngbear, and Cervantes. The group helped lead the program to 8 wins over their junior and senior campaigns and a playoff berth in 2025.

Asked to reflect on their senior class, Viramontes said: “They’re like brothers to me — all of them.”

)STC junior running back Izak Schroeder runs for a touchdown against Van Buren as senior teammate Eli Cruikshank celebrates (left).

“We’ve been playing football together for a really long time,” Henry added. “To end it in this way tonight was perfect.

STC senior running back Eric Medina finds a wide open lane to the endzone for a 2-point conversion against Van Buren.

STC sophomore linebacker Jet Chyma looks to deflect a pass against Van Buren.