Short-handed Trojans drop 7th straight at York, 28-0

With five starters, including a trio of two-way performers sidelined by injuries, New Kent’s winless Trojans faced an uphill climb in taking on York’s Falcons, one of three teams tied atop the Bay Rivers District football standings. And the Falcon defense made sure the visiting Trojans never reached the pinnacle of a major upset.

The Falcons sacked New Kent quarterback Luke Mechling on five occasions, amounting to 48 lost yards, and held the Trojans to 95 total yards for the game. York’s option offense, led by quarterback Austin Norman’s four touchdowns, did the rest in a 28-0 win last Thursday night.

“There was so much stacked against us this week,” New Kent head coach Dan Rounds said afterward, pointing to his injured starters. “It was almost laughable doing the depth chart for this week.”

Three freshmen assumed starting roles on defense, he said, adding, “We depended on a whole lot of young guys and they played pretty well.

“We were limited with what we could do with the ball,” he added. “We had two very inexperienced offensive linemen, and the pass protection showed this week.”

Problems up front surfaced on New Kent’s first offensive series after Brandon Martin pounced on a botched Falcon snap at the hosts’ 17 yard line. Mechling connected with Mikel Chalmers out of the backfield to advance the ball to the 12, but blocking broke down on the next two plays. Running back Trey Lee was tackled for a four-yard loss then the defense sacked Mechling for minus 12. Mechling’s pass to Lee on fourth and 21 netted just four yards, and the Trojans never threatened again.

After York took over on downs, New Kent forced a three and out. But the Falcons’ next possession turned into a 10-play, 60-yard march ending in Norman’s first touchdown run. Norman crossed the goal line two more times before the half, lifting his team to a 21-0 lead.

Lee led New Kent, now 0-6 in the district and 0-7 overall, in rushing with 83 yards on 17 carries, including a 47-yard jaunt into Falcon territory early in the third quarter. That drive, however, ran out of downs at the Falcon 35.

Terrance Ward emerged as a bright spot in the Trojan defense with a pass interception, fumble recovery, and the team’s lone sack.

“We would like to play more effectively on offense, but we’re still trying to find ways to move the ball without having all the pieces in place,” Rounds said. “We’ve played better on defense as the games have gone on.”

New Kent——– 0 0 0 0 —— 0
York————– 0 21 7 0 —— 28
2nd Quarter
York (10:44)- Norman 1 yard run (Strack kick) 7-0
York (5:17)- Norman 36 yard run (run fail) 13-0
York (:43)- Norman 1 yard run (Dye pass from Norman) 21-0
3rd Quarter
York (:13)- Norman 9 yard run (Strack kick) 28-0

Rushing (attempts/yards)
NK- Lee 12/83, Chalmers 8/31, Dunn 2/-6.
York- Wakelyn 10/76, Spruill 10/40, Norman 8/38, Said 8/38, Lewis 5/27, (4) 1/11, (5) 1/8.
Passing (completions/attempts/yards)
NK- Mechling 7/13/35.
York- Norman 6/10/90, 1 Int.
Receiving (receptions/yards)
NK- Chalmers 2/15, Dunn 2/12, Lee 1/4, Hill-Sanders 1/4, Gregory 1/0.
York- Lewis 3/57, Dye 2/21, (12) 1/12.
Interceptions
NK- Ward.
QB sacks
NK- Ward.
York- Reynolds (2), Campbell, Smith, Wakelyn.
Fumble Recoveries
NK- Martin, Ward.