High School Fridays: Columbia @ Troy (Football), 4/9/21

 Traditionally, Homecoming precedes Senior Night.

This year, of course, due to COVID, the script has been flipped more often than a gymnast on a floor exercise. At Troy High, Homecoming is traditionally the 3rd home game of the season, and for that reason, they had Senior Night last week, clearing the decks for a rare spring Homecoming. 

Soccer player Marianna Grande was given the crown by the previous Homecoming Queen, her former teammate, Grace Collins, in a pre-game ceremony that saw the six members of the court wearing color coordinated matching gowns & masks for COVID precautions, and with no traditional escorts.

And, then, it was time for the main event, with Columbia providing the opposition.

Troy High won the coin toss, and elected to receive. It didn't take long for them to strike, either, as Alex Wolfe found Xavier Leigh for a 40 yard touchdown toss to give Troy a quick 7-0 lead, less than two minutes into the first quarter. 

With apologies to the late John Lennon, Troy's defense didn't give Columbia QB David Peace much of a chance in the opening frame, as Wolfe picked him off twice. Late in the frame, Wolfe ran it in himself from 4 yards out to give Troy a 14-0 lead.

However, things were different in the 2nd quarter. Columbia recovered a punt muffed by Troy's Avvon Smith, and Peace, given a chance to extend the drive, found Derek Ouimette for a 40 yard score, matching Wolfe's pass to Leigh. At the half, the lead was cut in half at 14-7. 

Frustrated by defensive breakdowns, coach Bob Burns had to have lit into his team at the break, and it certainly showed. After a Columbia punt, Leigh busted loose for a 31 yard TD catch from Wolfe, restoring the lead to 14 at 21-7. 2 1/2 minutes later, Wolfe had his 3rd TD toss, this one for 13 yards to Tyrell Penalba, and the Flying Horses threatened to pull away at 28-7.

However, Columbia's David Romer tried to bring his team back, returning the ensuing kickoff 70 yards for a score. However, Dakota Bennett's extra point was blocked, and that left the score at 28-13. With under 2 minutes left in the quarter, Leigh scored his 3rd TD, this time on the ground from 23 yards out, and Troy had this one wrapped up at 35-13.

In the 4th quarter, special teams got in on the act.

Successive Columbia possessions ended in blocked punts for punter Aiden Larange, as Jalen Riggins and Ryan Lefebvre reached the end zone. Placekicker/punter Phil Ryan converted six straight PAT's before having one blocked following Lefebvre's score. After Troy turned it over on downs with under a minute to go, Columbia decided to take a knee and end the game. Troy goes to 4-0 with a dominating, albeit somewhat sloppy, 48-13 victory. They'll be on the road next week at Albany. Game time there is at 5:30 pm.

Wolfe, had Spectrum News carried the game, almost certainly would've been the game MVP with 3 TD passes, a rushing TD, and 3 interceptions on defense, accounting for half of Columbia's turnovers, as Peace had 5 picks total.

Now, enjoy the video:

If you took a close look at Troy's cheerleaders, they have one male on the team for the first time in years. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the school's first male cheerleader, Lead Bennett, who made the team in the fall of 1981.

Columbia's women's volleyball team hosted Troy earlier in the day, but that result is not available as of press time.