Tough opening for Trojans, Fleming

AMBLER » Bruce Fleming’s head coaching debut featured picture-perfect weather but lots of earlyseason rust, as Wissahickon fell to Martin Luther King High School 26-0.

The Trojans struggled offensively and, at times, defensively from the onset of its Friday night game against the Cougars.

The offense’s first half consisted of 44 total yards, 2 interceptions and a change at quarterback.

The defense surrendered several big plays at the hands of MLK’s tandem of quarterback Daquan Robinson and wideout Isaiah Allen.

The team as a whole was sloppy. They committed 5 penalties for 30 yards and muffed several fumbles they were fortunate enough to recover.

Fleming, who was promoted to head coach after spending several years as the Trojans’ defensive coordinator, equated the struggles to inexperience.

“I think tonight was more so our youth,” Fleming said. “We are a team that is heavy with sophomores and juniors, and a lot of guys having their first varsity experiences. We knew we were going to make mistakes.”

The MLK Cougars’ defense was strong as they clung to a 6-0 lead at halftime.

On offense, Robinson and Allen stole the show. They connected on plays of 19, 42 and another for 19. Robinson scored the lone touchdown on a quarterback sneak from six yards out.

Safety Clarence Battle picked off Wissahickon’s starting quarterback Eric Schreiner twice.

Schreiner was eventually replaced by Caleb Kemp in an attempt to salvage what was left of the first half and the game. It was Fleming’s attempt to keep the game from getting away from him.

The first possession of the second half started differently but was ultimately more of the same. Trojans running back Marice Johnson ripped off consecutive runs of nine and 15 yards before backfield mate Jalen Smalls lost a fumble after a miscommunication with Kemp. It stopped a promising drive dead in its tracks.

For Digital First Media