Friday night's trip to Seminary was a low point in the season for the West Marion Trojans (1-5, 0-1), who were outmatched and outgunned in a 46-6 road loss to the district rival Bulldogs.
Head coach Brandon Thornhill said both he and his players expected more from themselves in Friday night's contest, but there's simply no time to lie down and lick their wounds. With district play only getting tougher from here on out, they'll have to learn what they can from the lopsided loss and move forward if they want to put themselves in position for a trip to the playoffs.
Seminary set the tone right out of the gate, stitching together an 11-play, 75-yard drive to open the night that ended with a 6-yard touchdown run for the Bulldogs. The Trojans offense responded swiftly, with Jakaden Mark hitting Qua Ward for a 75-yard touchdown on a reverse pass the following drive, but the trickery used to set up the play proved to be unsustainable, as it was the only score the Trojans achieved during the contest.
The Bulldogs offense continued to move the sticks, responding with a six-play scoring drive to take a 14-6 lead into the second quarter. Two three-and-outs by the Trojans' offense and a blocked punt by the Bulldogs defense allowed for three more Seminary scores, lifting the Bulldogs to a 34-6 lead entering halftime.
Despite showing sporadic signs of life, the Trojans' offense made mistakes throughout the night that kept them from finishing drives with points. They were unable to capitalize on two second-half drives that started in Bulldog territory, with one ending on an interception and the other ending on a fumble. Both turnovers resulted in scoring drives for the Bulldogs, who kept their foot on the gas and pulled away for the 46-6 win.
Although the loss was hard to swallow, Thornhill said now isn't the time for West Marion to hit the panic button. As more and more players work their way back into the lineup from injuries suffered in September, the Trojans will have more opportunities to get themselves back on track and make a strong push through the meat and potatoes of their district schedule.
This Friday the Trojans will host St. Stanislaus in their second district matchup, with an opportunity to turn things around and climb higher in the Region 8-3A standings.
