Kern out, Hillers fall to Titans
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter Trinity's #10 tackles West Mifflin's Howie Reid during a game at Trinity on Friday, September 2, 2016.
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter Trinity's Joey Koroly picks up yard against West Mifflin during a game at Trinity on Friday, September 2, 2016.
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter Trinity's Joey Koroly picks up yards for the first down against West Mifflin's Dorian Johnson during a game at Trinity on Friday, September 2, 2016.
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter Trinity's student body cheers for the Hillers during a game against West Mifflin at Trinity on Friday, September 2, 2016.
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-ReporterTrinity's head coach Jon Miller helps his player Preston Miller who injury his leg in the first half of the game against West Mifflin at Trinity on Friday, September 2, 2016.
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter Trinity's warming up before the game against West Mifflin at Trinity on Friday, September 2, 2016.
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter Trinity's cheerleaders warm up before the game against West Mifflin at Trinity on Friday, September 2, 2016.
It’s hard enough to win a high school football game in the rugged Class AAA Big 9 Conference with a full complement of players.
Trying to do so without your starting quarterback?
Well, that’s a tall order.
That’s what Trinity was facing against West Mifflin Friday night at Hiller Field. Without starer Dylan Kern, who was hurt in last Saturday’s scrimmage against West Allegheny, the Hillers’ offense sputtered and the defense finally broke in the second half during a 28-2 loss to the Titans.
West Mifflin moved to 2-0 on the season and 1-0 in the conference. This was Trinity’s first game of the season, preferring to not schedule a Week Zero game.
Tanner Hudak, a 6-2, 170-pound junior, took the place of the Kern, a 5-11, 195-pound junior. Hudak normally is a wide receiver but was put at quarterback when Kern went down. Junior running back Joey Koroly gained 101 yards on 15 carries for the Hillers but spent much of the fourth quarter on the bench with cramps.
“Hopefully, we’ll have Kern back next week,” said Trinity head coach Jon Miller. “We hoped to control the ball a little more and use Joey. We had too many holding penalties. We have to be more disciplined than that with our backup quarterback out there and our running back out with cramps. It’s hard to play that kind of football.”
Kern’s absence also caught West Mifflin head coach Ray Braszo by surprise.
“We didn’t know but we knew he wasn’t in there when the game started,” said Braszo. “It makes a big difference because he’s a great quarterback.”
West Mifflin was sparked by tailback Howard Reid, a 5-8, 160-pound junior. Reid rushed for three touchdowns, two in the second half, and finished with 150 yards on 22 carries. Darnell Carey, a 5-9, 145-pound senior and one of five running backs to see significant action for the Titans, scored on a 75-yard run against a tiring Trinity defense in the fourth quarter.
“Reid really turned it on and the line opened things up for him,” said Braszo. “He’s a really good runner.”
Trinity’s lone score came when a snap on a West Mifflin punt sailed over the head of Kyrjon Sampson and into the end zone. Sampson recovered the ball and was tackled at the back of the end zone.
Trinity hung tough in the first half, trailing only 7-0, despite West Mifflin controlling the football. At one point, the Titans had a 19-play drive and ran 34 plays in the half, 21 more than Trinity.
West Mifflin had a touchdown called back by penalty in the first quarter after Dorian Johnson returned a punt 71 yards.
Trinity never managed to get into the Red Zone and had more than 100 yards in penalties.
“It was a tough position to put Tanner in,” Miller said. “He’s a wide receiver. It’s hard to expect a lot. Once we get Dylan back, we’ll be a little more dangerous.”