Preview: Southern Columbia Area Tigers vs. Troy Trojans
Southern Columbia Area has enjoyed a three-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will challenge the Troy Trojans at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Last Friday, while Southern Columbia Area put up plenty of points, the same can't be said for Mount Carmel. Southern Columbia Area simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Mount Carmel 43-0 at home. Given Southern Columbia Area's advantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania football rankings (they are ranked 47th, while Mount Carmel is ranked 154th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Louden Murphy was his usual excellent self, rushing for 87 yards and four touchdowns on only 12 carries. Garrett Garcia was another major influence, as he rushed for 63 yards and ran in a TD.
Southern Columbia Area's defense stepped up as well, laying out the QB five times. In that department, Isaac Carter was the leader with four sacks.
Meanwhile, two teams were on the hunt for playoff glory, but only Troy walked away with it. They claimed a resounding 44-0 victory over Line Mountain at home. The victory was just business as usual for Troy, who after 12 games remain undefeated this season.
Evan Woodward and Clayton Smith were among the main playmakers for Troy as the former threw for 119 yards and two touchdowns while completing 75% of his passes and the latter rushed for 83 yards and two touchdowns on only nine carries. Smith was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 54 yards. Another big playmaker for Troy was Mason Smith, who returned a punt for a touchdown.
Southern Columbia Area pushed their record up to 11-1 with that win, which was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 52.1 points per game. As for Troy, their victory bumped their record up to 12-0.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Friday's contest: Southern Columbia Area has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 306.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Troy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 253.8 per game. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches. Come back here after the game to get analysis of the match and other football content.
Everything came up roses for Southern Columbia Area against Troy when the teams last played back in November of 2022 as the squad secured a 48-12 victory. Does Southern Columbia Area have another victory up their sleeve, or will Troy turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
