Jiang’s long runs, Darish’s toss key Troy’s rout of West Bloomfield
BY JAKE LOURIM
STUDENT CORRESPONDENT
WEST BLOOMFIELD — The three-headed monster returned.
With the running game rolling up 419 yards, Troy routed West Bloomfield 42-13 Friday
night in OAA Red Division play to head into a three-game home stand at 3-2.
A week after a rough loss against Clarkston, the Colts’ offensive line took on a front just as big as the Wolves’, and this time Troy made gaping holes for its backs against West Bloomfield.
“We tried to be very disciplined in our gaps,” Troy coach Gary Griffith said. “There were times that they just took us and knocked us off the ball and there wasn’t much we could do about it, but there were other times where we had our gaps controlled.”
“Those times” accounted for an 8.9 yards-per-carry average by the Colts’ backfield. In addition, Troy used a few big plays in the middle quarters to pull away from the Lakers (2-3, 2-3).
The first came with 7:35 left in the second quarter when senior Matt Oppenlander made a block for senior Oliver Jiang, who found a seam and ran 65 yards for a touchdown. On Troy’s next play from scrimmage, Jiang scampered 64 yards untouched with great blocking downfield.
The first time, West Bloomfield had nobody deep, and the second time, it had nobody up. Jiang ran for 159 yards in the first half.
“I think it was mostly mental,” senior offensive tackle Jarrett Bochniak said. “We just had to focus. Our offensive line has got really good chemistry.”
The Colts (3-2, 3-1) moved 48 yards in eight plays to open the second half with another score, then forced a three-and-out. Troy followed that series with the final blow.
After a chop block penalty gave the Colts third-and-18 from their own 25, sophomore quarterback Jay Darish went into the game at slot receiver. Darish took a handoff from junior Justin Losey on an apparent jet sweep, and the Lakers’ cornerback bit on it, but Darish slung it downfield for senior Derek Verbruggen on a stop-and-go for a 75-yard touchdown pass, Darish’s first of the season.
“That one, we practiced for about three weeks,” Troy offensive coordinator Duane Losey said. “I don’t know why, I was just reluctant to run it because it’s kind of a hit-or-miss play. It’s either a home run or a strikeout, and tonight it was a home run.”
Oppenlander ran in another score in the fourth quarter, giving him 104 yards on the night. Losey added 54 yards rushing and another score.
With the exception of a long drive on the second drive of the game and an open pass play near the end of the first half, the defense was solid as well, though Griffith found some tackling miscues.
“I thought our tackling needed to be shored up — we were hitting okay, we just weren’t wrapping up,” he said.
The coach added that this game was a possible shift game for both teams, who each went in at 2-2.
“Tonight was kind of a showdown for somebody who wanted that third win to head in the right direction versus a third loss where you don’t have much room for error anymore,” he said.
As it did last year, the West Bloomfield game will set up a showdown with state power Lake Orion. The Dragons have had Troy’s number under four-year starting quarterback Sean Charette, outscoring the Colts 125-18 in three meetings with their star under center. Troy, which narrowly missed the playoffs last year, will be gunning for revenge after a big win last week.
“Because the kids are 16 and 17 years old, these kids are absolutely flying high after a win,” Losey said. “It’s an adrenaline rush, and that will last a long time with these guys.”
Category: High School, High School (M-Z), Prep Wraps, Student Columns, Troy
