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Top rivals Troy, Trotwood to battle

Major computer points on the line when GWOC North rivals clash.

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By Marc F. Pendleton, Staff Writer Updated 12:40 AM Friday, October 14, 2011

Trotwood-Madison has been on a mission to return to the Division II state football championship game. The Rams are delivering as billed.

Big, strong, fast and talented throughout its heavily recruitable lineup, they have suffered no letdowns during a perfect 7-0 start. But that doesn’t mean there haven’t been some breath-holding moments.

“With our kids, the last two weeks I think they realize you can’t just roll the helmets out there and expect a ‘W,’ ” T-M coach Maurice Douglass said.

Trotwood’s closest game was two weeks ago, a 26-23 defeat of Piqua. The Rams scored the winning touchdown in the final minute. Last week, Trotwood needed a last-play TD to pull even with Xenia at halftime of an eventual 48-20 beat down.

Those teams are a combined 5-9.

“It also helps us to know that when called upon in crunch-time situations and things haven’t gone the way that you wanted them to, we’ve been able to go out and be successful,” Douglass said.

If Trotwood wavers tonight, that might be all Troy needs to do what no other team has accomplished. The Trojans (6-1) are at Trotwood in an attractive Dayton Daily News Game of the Week that likely will decide the Greater Western Ohio Conference North title.

The Trojans are atop the North Division at 2-0 and handed Vandalia Butler its only loss. Trotwood is 1-0 and is at Butler in Week 10. With just five members, North teams play only four divisional games.

Last season T-M posted its only shutout against the Trojans, winning 18-0. That was the Rams’ third victory in a clutch nine-game win streak that wasn’t snapped until the state title game.

“Hopefully, we can play a little bit better offensively in this one than we did last year,” Trojans coach Steve Nolan said.

The Trojans are coming off a 27-7 blitzing of longtime rival Piqua. They also own a season-opening 30-0 hammering of red-hot Chaminade Julienne (5-2) and easily handled Fairborn (5-2).

Both T-M and Troy could lose tonight and still make the playoffs. The Trojans are No. 1 in D-I, Region 3; Trotwood is No. 1 in D-II, Region 8. Both also are No. 1 in their respective divisions of the DDN power rankings.

Nolan said the Trojans were clicking on offense, defense and special teams against Piqua.

“As we get later in the season, that’s what you like to see happen,” he said. “That’s what happened to Trotwood last year. They got on a roll on both sides of the ball and that took them right to the state championship game. I’m sure they’re thinking about that as well. It’s going to be a tough game to both teams.”

Contact this writer at (937) 225-2381 or mpendleton@DaytonDailyNews.com.

GWOC North  Showdown

Trotwood			Troy
7-0 (1-0)		Records	6-1 (2-0)
1,351		Yards passing	817
1,742		Yards rushing	1,556
25-24	Opponents’	30-19	record
281		Points scored	232
136		Points allowed	111
60-551		Penalties	42-328