DaytonDailyNews.com

TROTWOOD — Lebanon High School running back Nate Woods was concerned with one direction — north.

The 6-foot-1, 205-pound senior ran the ball 29 times, many straight up the middle, for 175 yards and three touchdowns, leading the Warriors to a 42-20 win Friday, Sept. 5, over the Trotwood-Madison Rams at the Good Samaritan SportsPlex.

Woods scored on a 1-yard rush with less than two minutes remaining in the second quarter and added two more in the second half, from 26 and 10 yards out.

"This week, we came out with a vengeance," said Woods. "Our offensive line, our backs, we just wanted to punish their team up front. And we did it."

Lebanon quarterback Dusty Issacs threw for 160 yards and connected with wide receiver Chase Cochran on a 50-yard touchdown strike on the Warriors' opening drive of the game.

But most of the damage by the visitors was done on the ground. Lebanon (3-0) rushed 47 times for 209 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown by Trey Bonny in the third quarter that put the game out of reach.

After totaling 11 rushing yards in last week's win, Lebanon head coach Shawn Lamb said his team entered the night with a different mind-set.

"We challenged our offensive line and our backfield to re-establish things and show people that we can run the ball and be physical," he said. "They were challenged all week long."

Trotwood (0-3) went into the game without head coach Maurice Douglass (serving a three-game suspension) and star offensive lineman Chris Freeman, but did move the ball well, racking up 398 yards of offense. Trailing by a touchdown in the second quarter, the Rams strung together two consecutive scoring drives to take a brief 12-7 lead.

Trotwood athletic director and acting head coach Jim Ladd said his inexperienced team needs to work on details to turn the season around.

"The key for us is that we're young," said Ladd, noting that only three starters returned for 2008. "We're not giving up on them."