»RELATED: Week 3 scores, boxscores
»RELATED: Week 3 roundup
Calling freshman running back Hezekiah Hudson-Davis’ number on four straight running plays, the Rams covered 80-yards and delivered a dagger from 4 yards out with 3:18 to play en route to a 40-28 win at Miami Valley Hospital SportsPlex.
Senior defensive back Quentin Davis intercepted Wayne junior Cam Francher at the Trotwood goal line with 1:21 left.
The Rams, 3-7 against Wayne since 2008, improved to 2-1.
The Warriors (0-3) enter Week 4 (against undefeated Springboro) looking for their first win under new head coach Roosevelt Mukes.
“We wanted to establish our identity today,” Trotwood head coach Jeff Graham said. “Now the kids can look at who they are and believe things can happen for them.”
“We came out looking for a win and looking to get our moxie back,” Trotwood junior quarterback Cooper Stewart said. “I think we found it.”
The Rams unearthed options.
Five different players scored for Trotwood, which led 20-14 at halftime and scored on its first three possessions of the second half.
“That’s how you have to be as an offense to be successful,” Graham said. “You have to be able to divide the ball.”
Said Stewart: “We have playmakers everywhere.”
A week removed from rushing for 179 yards in a win over RICC Canada Prep (Ontario), Hudson-Davis rushed for 193 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. He leads the Greater Western Ohio Conference in rushing after three weeks (451 yards).
Seniors Keon’tae Huguely (two) and Keon Hamilton ran for touchdowns, while Stewart hit Carl Blanton Jr. and Daylon Morgan for 14- and 25-yard touchdown passes. Huguely tacked on a game-high 12 tackles.
“We kept on making adjustments and plays,” Stewart said.
The loss was another nail-bitter for Wayne. The Warriors trailed Colerain 21-19 with less than three minutes to play in a 28-19 season-opening loss and led Olentangy Liberty 10-7 entering the fourth quarter last week before losing 19-10. Colerain and Liberty were Division I state semifinalists last year.
Fancher threw for 209 yards and ran for 111 and a touchdown. Senior running back Devin Nelson added 86 yards rushing and three touchdowns for Wayne.
“We’re just going to keep grinding,” Mukes said. “I’m not going to give up on them. I don’t want them to give up on themselves. We’re just going to keep plugging away.”
The teams combined for 881 total yards (both over 400) and 230 penalty yards (both over 10 flags each).
The game was the last for the Warriors and Rams as GWOC opponents. Next year Trotwood becomes an independent. Combined the teams own 17 postseason berths, 11 regional titles, nine state finals and two state titles since 2010.
“When you get slapped like that in your first game (lost 36-7 to Winton Woods), it makes you go back and look at the basics and some of your fundamentals,” Graham said. “Now we’ve got a little combination of run and pass together. It worked well tonight.”
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