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Trojans roll again

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California’s Austin Grillo collars Rochester’s Mahlik Strozier Friday night.

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California’s Cochise Ryan carries the football Friday night against Rochester.

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California’s Colin Phillips is tackled Friday night by Rochester’s Mahlik Strozier.

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California’s Zion Aldrich carries the ball Friday night against Rochester.

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California’s Colin Phillips, front, intercepts a pass Friday night intended for Rochester’s Elijah Goosby.

COAL CENTER – At the beginning of the season, a game between California and Rochester might not have been one to circle on your calendar. Then the season started and the Trojans smoked every opponent on their schedule, including three games in which they scored more than 60 points.

That explosive start resulted in a No. 5 ranking in the state for California and set up a titanic clash with the unranked but always formidable Rams. Only Jeannette has a higher ranking in the WPIAL in Class A than California.

Still, Trojans head coach Darrin Dillow said last week that California would have to play a perfect game to beat Rochester.

A perfect game didn’t quite happen, but California was still plenty good enough to earn a huge 38-6 nonconference victory Friday night.

And the fact that the Trojans (8-0) didn’t play a perfect game and still earned such a resounding win might just make a statement.

“Not even close to perfect,” said Dillow, “and that’s what’s upsetting. However, great team win. We made some mistakes but we recovered from them and shut them out. We had some adversity but still played.”

The game lost some of its luster because of an apparent injury to Rochester star running back Caleb Collins, who was on the sidelines in street clothes. Collins leads the team with 763 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns.

“We script their plays but we do what we do,” said Dillow. “It doesn’t matter who’s back there for them.”

California didn’t let that change how its players approached the game, and the Trojans came out as they often do these days: fast.

Cochise Ryan ran the second play from scrimmage 12 yards for a first down, followed immediately by a 50-yard scamper by quarterback Colin Phillips to set up the Trojans at the Rochester 13-yard line. Three plays later, Jelani Stafford, fresh off a four-touchdown performance against Carmichaels last week, ran it home from four yards on third-and-1.

Rochester’s first two drives went for negative yards, but the third proved different. The Rams (5-2) went on a 16-play drive to go 58 yards, helped by a crucial offside penalty on California on fourth-and-1, and converted another fourth down – fourth-and-goal – when Mahlik Strozier found Darius Goosby for a five-yard scoring pass.

Penalties proved to be a problem for the Trojans, who had a touchdown called back on a false start. With the ball moved back to the 7, Dustin Mock kicked a 25-yard field goal.

“We’re hurting ourselves,” Dillow said. “Penalties are killing us. We’re the only team that can beat us right now.”

That seemed to be the end of the scoring in the first half, but an interception caught by Phillips gave California the ball at their own 38 with 48 seconds to play and all three timeouts remaining. Phillips ran 30 yards to set up the Trojans in Rochester territory, where California promptly burned two timeouts without running a play.

Phillips didn’t let that matter. Two plays later, he ran for 29 more yards to find the end zone with 13 seconds remaining in the half. He had 126 yards on eight carries at the break.

The Trojans had eight penalties for 55 yards in the first half. They totaled 12 for 90 yards. They also turned the ball over three times but also forced three turnovers.

California controlled the majority of the game, if not the entirety, and persistence paid off in the fourth quarter when the Trojans scored 21 points to put the game out of reach. Stafford scored twice and finished with 129 yards rushing on 17 carries.

He was bottled up somewhat until a 28-yard score.

“Rochester played us well,” said Dillow. “But he’s going to pound on you and grind on you, and eventually you’re going to have to let up. If you saw them tackling and they start turning their shoulders and ducking their heads, that’s when you know you have them beat.”

Phillips finished with 155 yards on 16 carries. He threw one pass, a 59-yard strike to Braden Petrucci, to set up the game’s final score.

Without Collins, the Rams struggled offensively. Strozier led them with 60 yards rushing on 10 carries. He completed only three of eight passes for four yards.

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