BERLIN CENTER – Trinity fell to host Western Reserve, 33-18, in a Thursday Night Football matchup.
The Trojans trailed 13-0 at halftime but fought back before coming up short.
“We built some momentum at the end of the half,” said Trinity head coach Jeff McSweeney. “We’re such a young team, and we’re learning. This was a road game, and I’m proud of their effort. We had something going, but as I explained to the guys, it’s the little things we have to keep doing right. We made some mistakes that cost us.”
Western Reserve struck first when quarterback Dominic Krut scored on a one-yard keeper for a 6-0 lead.
Trinity’s Derion Smith forced a fumble that Aaden Bryant recovered, but the drive stalled. The Blue Devils responded with a four-yard touchdown run from Timmy Serensky to push the lead to 13-0 at the half.
The second half opened with chaos. Trinity fumbled the kickoff, but two plays later, Smith scooped up a loose ball and raced 54 yards for a touchdown, cutting the deficit to 13-6.
Serensky answered with a 51-yard sprint to the end zone, making it 20-6. Trinity battled back as Smith and Jaylann Branch combined for 43 rushing yards to set up Branch’s 16-yard touchdown run, trimming the margin to 20-12.
“We just had that dawg in us. It showed how bad we really wanted (to win),” Smith said. “We really worked for it over the offseason, and just wanted to win. We’re leaders on this team, and we have to set the standard.”
The Trojans kept the momentum going, forcing a punt and taking over at their own 41. Kemarion Sampson broke an eight-yard run inside the 10, and Branch finished the drive with his second touchdown, bringing Trinity within 20-18.
But Western Reserve pulled away late. Krut broke loose for a 35-yard scoring run, and Serensky added a four-yard touchdown to seal the win.
Trinity entered the game fresh off a 40-14 victory over St. John’s in Week 1 but was handed a dose of reality before beginning four straight Chagrin Valley Conference crossover games.
“It’s a humbling experience. I think some of us were a little big-headed coming into this week,” Smith said. “This shows us that we need to work harder. It’s important (to get it now) because it’s the beginning of the season. This is the time when we learn and build off our mistakes. We’re trying to go on a winning streak. I’m not mad we lost, I’m just happy that we got (humble pie) now so we can get rolling.”
Despite the loss, McSweeney said he saw growth in his young roster.
“I was starting to see that the team was growing up a little bit,” he said. “We’re young in a lot of areas, so watching that come together from the first to the fourth quarter was a lot. We are watching it happen before our eyes.”
His message moving forward was simple.
“We have to build off our successes from today and learn from our mistakes,” McSweeney said. “That’s a lot of coach speak, but it’s what we need to do. I was so encouraged by the things we did well. I told the guys that I’m more encouraged than I am discouraged. I saw that fight.”
Branch led Trinity with 110 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries. Smith added 82 yards on 15 attempts.
The Trojans return home next Friday, Sept. 5, to host CVC newcomer Rootstown.
