Big 3Q spurs Triton victory
CULVER - How’s this for a high school football game setting? a homecoming conference game with two evenly-matched teams on a beautiful September evening with a nearly full moon. What more can you ask for as a fan?
Those in attendance at Cavalier Field were treated to a back-and-forth game for a half before an opportunistic Triton team took advantage of two Culver turnovers to pull away for the 35-24 Hoosier North athletic Conference victory.
“It was a good team win,” said Triton head coach Rodney Younis, whose squad is now 3-2 overall and 2-1 in the HNAC.
The two teams traded two touchdowns each in the first half, the only difference being Culver converting on both of its twopoint conversions while Triton kicked both Pats and the teams went into halftime with the Cavaliers leading 16-14. Not surprisingly, both Cavs TDS were on running plays - four yards from Shane Shuman and a 68-yard jaunt by Jason Cradle. What was a little surprising was that both of the Trojans’ scores were from the passing game - a four-yarder from Cole Shively to Cole Irvine, followed by a 55-yard catch and run (that was mostly run), also by Irvine.
The Cole-to-cole connection wasn’t finished though, as the pair capped off the team’s scoring when Shively found Irvine wide open on a missed assignment from 13 yards out to start the fourth quarter and ice the outcome.
The turning point of the game however was midway through the third quarter. Faced a 4th-andgoal, Triton’s Reilley Wood punched it in from two yards out and after a twopoint conversion run, the Trojans led for the first time, 22-16. Culver coughed the
ball up on its next possession and with the short field Triton quickly found the end zone again, this time with Shively finishing the short drive with a oneyard run. The conversion failed, but the gap was suddenly 28-16.
On Culver’s next possession, the turnover bug struck again. Shively intercepted a Cavs pass and his 37-yard return was followed by the 13-yard pass play to Irvine on the very next play. Shively’s third PAT kick made it 35-16.
Culver (1-2, 0-2 HNAC) had one of its patented clock-consuming drives after Triton’s fifth TD, with Shuman rumbling in from three yards followed by another two-point conversion, but most of the remaining game time was run off in the process.
“We felt the momentum shift,” Younis said of the third quarter swing. “Culver’s offense is difficult to defend. They have those big boys up front and they owned us on the line play, but getting those turnovers was huge for us. I was proud of our boys for not only getting the turnovers, but capitalizing on them. That’s the difference in the ball game when you do that.
“We have the passing game in our offense. Both Coles stepped up. Shively threw the ball well tonight (6-9, 98 yards, 3TDS, 0 INTS) and Irvine made some nice plays for us.”
• TRITON 35, CULVER 24 At Culver
Score by quarters Triton 7 7 14 7 - 35 Culver 8 8 0 8 - 24
T - Cole Irvine 4 pass from Cole Shively (Shively kick)
C - Shane Shuman 4 run (Tucker Fisher pass to Marquez Anderson) T - Irvine 55 pass from Shively (Shively kick)
C - Jason Cradle 68 run (Shuman run)
T - Reilley Wood 2 run (Shively run)
T - Shively 1 run (pass failed)
T - Irvine 13 pass from Shively (Shively kick)
C - Shuman 3 run (Fisher pass to Anderson)
Rushing leaders:
Culver - Shane Shuman 17-119, Blake Thompson 15-61, Jason Cadle 8-88
Triton - Anthony Schuh 20-144 Receiving leaders:
Triton - Cole Irvine 4-82