Troy was looking to make it to the Sectional round of the Class 2-1A playoff for the second straight year and win an opening round playoff game for the fourth-straight time, and that they did by dominating Valley Heights 50-6.

Valley Heights received the opening kick and moved the ball with the run but stalled just over the 50-yard line, giving Troy the ball. Later in the first quarter a bad punt by the Mustangs led to a short field as the Trojans started on the Mustang 34-yard and soon after scored the first tally of the game as Tristan Speer punched the ball in from one-yard out with 3:39 in the first quarter, making 8-0 with the two-point conversion.

Rolling into the second quarter the Trojans did want they did the first time they played Valley Heights this year and that is pile on some points in the second quarter. Just over 30 seconds into the second Speer ran the ball in again this time from eight-yards out and with the two-point conversion it was 16-0. Troy wasn't settling for a two-score lead as Speer took to the air a found Cuttar Huss for a seven-yard touchdown pass and then Alex Martinez recovered a Valley Heights Mustang and Troy went on to score off that turnovers with a Speer 21-yard touchdown run and the score had ballooned to 28-0. Before halftime the Trojan offense added one more score pushing it to 36-0 as Collin Jasper stabbed a ball out of the air in stride from Speer for a 59-yard bomb with 2:02 left in the first half.

Looking to fully put this one out of reach the Troy Trojans took the second half opening kick back 88-yards by Jake Ross down to the two-yard line, setting up a two-yard, Derek Franken run and two-point conversion by Alex Schmille to make it 44-0. Speer took to the air again and on another bubble screen play Huss caught his second touchdown pass going for 24-yards, making it 50-0 with 6:10 left in the third quarter, setting a running clock in motion for the rest of the game.

The Mustangs finally broke through and took the goose egg of the scoreboard for their side with 3:50 remaining the third quarter as Gage Woodyard took the air hitting Logan Woodyard for 49-yards and a touchdown, only the second passing touchdown all year for Valley Heights. The Mustangs were looking for another score late in the game but Troy sophomore, Tyler Franken came at defensive back and picked off a pass that could have went to a Mustang touchdown.

With the loss, Valley Heights ends their season 5-5, making the playoffs for the first time since 2009 and struggled to move the ball against Troy. Gage Woodyard was 3-7 for 75 yards TD and interception, while Logan Woodyard caught the touchdown pass and ran for 73 yards on 11 carries. Keaton DeWalt posted just 58 yards on 15 carries as Valley Heights totaled 236 total yards of offense but had three turnovers.

Troy with the win improves to 9-1 on the season and move out to the Sectional round of Class 2-1A playoffs for the second straight year. Troy on the night posted 447 yards of total offense with 293 yards rushing, with Speer leading the charge running for 129 yards on 13 carries with three touchdowns and was 9-18 for 154 yards and three more touchdowns, earning him Community National Bank “Player to Bank On.” Franken added a strong rushing night with 68 yards on nine carries and touchdown, while Huss caught five passes for 76 yards and two touchdowns. The nine wins for Troy is the most in a single season since 2008 when they also had nine wins.

Next up for the Trojans is a rematch of last year’s Class 2-1A Sectional competition with Lyndon. This time it will be at Lyndon, as Lyndon won 61-40 over Marion in their opening round game. Troy will be looking for revenge from last year’s 37-8 loss to Lyndon.