One Step Closer: Trojans headed to semifinals

BY JACK H. SMITH

Ledger Publisher

Prior to kickoff of the Whitehall/Harrison High School football teams quarterfinal matchup Saturday in Ronan, Trojan head coach Dan Lacey shared with his a team quote in the locker room.

"At any moment you can change your story," Lacey wrote on the chalkboard in the locker room.

Several hours later he would remind his team of the quote. After leading 28-6 in the first half, the Trojans had surrendered 22 unanswered points and led by just two with 6:50 left in the third quarter.

"I talked with them after Ronan scored the touchdown and we were only up two. I really wanted them to believe the quote," he said.

The motivation from the head coach worked, and Whitehall (10-1) sealed the game with two fourth quarter touchdowns on their way to a 40-26 victory and a spot in the MHSA Class B Semifinals.

Lacey said with the game on the line his team came out, physically manhandled the Chief, and were able to get some defensive stops that would eventually lead to two scores.

"These guys fight so hard, I can't say enough about them. They are so battle tested, they prepare, and they do everything the right way," Lacey said.

After being shut out in the first half of their first round playoff game against Cut Bank, the Trojans came out of the gates quickly Saturday against Ronan.

They scored the first touchdown of the game with 7:54 left in the opening quarter on a 25-yard pass from senior quarterback to junior receiver Wyatt Alexander.

Minutes later, Larsen would find an open Andrew Simon for a 29 yard scoring strike. Alexander would score on the two-point conversion to put Whitehall up 14-0 with 4:53 remaining in the first quarter.

Larsen and Alexander would connect again in the second, this time on a 27-yard touchdown pass to make it a 21-0 game with 9:19 left in the half. After a Ronan touchdown to cut the lead to 21-6, Whitehall would march down the field and score again, this time on a 19 yard Larsen pass to Braden Smith with 5:54 left in the second quarter.

Ronan would score a touchdown on a hook and ladder play with 34 seconds left in the half to cut the lead to 28-14.

Lacey said the team executed the offensive game plan great in the first half, but Ronan would adjust in the second.

After the Chiefs cut the lead to two points in the third, Whitehall would close out the game with two more scoring strikes in the fourth quarter. Larsen would find Lane Buus for a 25-yard touchdown with 11:00 left in the game. Six-minutes later, Larsen would find Simon for a 25-yard touchdown pass.

On the next Ronan possession, sophomore Sawyer Keener was able to get a leaping interception after a punishing hit on the Chiefs quarterback by Colton Noyes.

"At the end of the day we found a way to win and that's all I ask for," Lacey said.

Larsen had a huge game for Whitehall. He was 33 of 46 passing for 416 yards and ix touchdowns. He also added 96 rushing yards on 12 carries. Smith added 53 yards on 14 carries.

Simon had 10 receptions for 146 yards, Alexander had 126 yards on eight catches, Buus had 96 yards on eight carries, Smith had two receptions for 31 yards, and Jake Flynn had two catches for 17 yards.

The Trojans will next play Saturday in the semifinals against Eureka (10-1), who avenged their only loss of the season with a 43-8 quarterfinal win over Shelby.

(Read more about the matchup in this week's edition of the Whitehall Ledger.)