Trinity has many happy returns in shutout
McDONALD – The Trinity High School football team had not been in the WPIAL playoffs since 2017.
And the Hillers did not have a postseason win since 2007.
All of that changed Friday night.
The 10th-seeded Hillers scored on a punt return, an interception return and a fumble return and played stellar defense for four quarters to rout seventh-seeded North Catholic 49-0 in a Class 4A first-round game played at South Fayette High School.
Trinity’s Andrew Durig returned a second-quarter punt 88 yards for a touchdown and Luke Lacock intercepted a pass in the third quarter and returned it 45 yards to the end zone in the third quarter. Only 17 seconds after Lacock’s return, the Hillers’ Caden Vogel scooped up a fumble in the North Catholic backfield and rumbled 20 yards for another score, which put Trinity up 35-0 in the third quarter.
The win sends Trinity (7-4) to the quarterfinals next weekend and will play at second-seeded and conference rival McKeesport (9-1). The Tigers received a first-round bye.
Durig and Lacock each scored two touchdowns for Trinity, which led 14-0 at halftime and pulled away with 21 third-quarter points that included a pair of defensive touchdowns.
Durig opened the scoring with a scintillating 88-yard punt return for a 7-0 lead 62 seconds into the second quarter. On the ensuing North Catholic possession, Dante DeRubbo intercepted a Trojans pass and returned it 46 yards to the 29-yard line.
A 13-yard pass from quarterback Jonah Williamson to Anthony Giorgi moved the ball to the North Catholic 11, and from there Williamson scrambled to the end zone to five the Hillers a 14-0 lead midway through the second quarter.
Lacock bolted three yards for a touchdown on Trinity’s opening possession of the second half to make it a 21-0 lead.
The Hillers were dominant defensively, especially in the third quarter. Lacock’s interception for a score made it 28-0, and when a snap from center wen between the North Catholic quarterback’s legs, Vogel picke dup the loose ball and raced to the end zone to make it a 35-0 game, send it to the Mercy Rule.
Trinity scored twice in the game’s final 10 minutes. Durig tacked on his second touchdown, on a six-yard run, and Mekhi Bouman ran 10 yards for his second TD of the season.
Durig rushed for 72 yards on 12 carries. Williamson was the Hillers’ leading rusher with 75 yards on 15 carries. he completed six of 19 passes. Giorgi had four receptions.
North Catholic running back Jack Fennell, who ran for 1,275 yards and 23 touchdowns in the regular season, was held to 35 yards on 13 carries in the first half and di not carry the ball in the second half.