The Anderson defense stole the show as the Trojans narrowly edged out Austin High 17-14 last Friday night. Despite just ten points from their offense, Anderson was improved to 2-1 (1-0) and the Maroons fell to 0-3 (0-1).
The Anderson defense bottled up the Austin High offense all night, barely allowing quarterbacks Whit Davenport & John Latham to get anything going and picking them off twice. The highlight of the night came in the first half when junior cornerback Colin Haines intercepted Latham and took it 55 yards to the house.
“It was great to be able to make a difference and help get us the win.”
– Colin Haines
The rest of the defense shined too, with 5 players recording sacks. Gage Webb made a team-high 8 tackles, to go along with 2 TFLs and a sack, and Jack Middleton had another big game recording 5 tackles, 3 TFLs, and a sack of his own. The secondary had its best game yet as well with Jett Joseph having 3 pass breakups and an interception starting across from Haines, and safety Simon Burns even got in the backfield for a sack.
The offense, which had managed zero points through three quarters, finally came alive in the final frame. On 3rd and 7 at midfield, quarterback Max Gerlich escaped from a broken pocket, did a great job of extending the play rolling left, and delivered an 18-yard strike to Zayden Sharp to put the Trojans in field goal range. Gerlich completed a screen pass that Ed Small broke for 21 yards, and Zane Cooke knocked it through the uprights for his first field goal of the season, giving the Trojans a 10-7 lead.
On the next drive, Brady Gephart made a great throw on the run, hitting Tristan Waidelech for a gain of 23, getting the Trojans down near Austin High’s 30-yard line. Just one play later, the Maroons blew a coverage, leaving Michael Rendon wide open for a touchdown, and letting Anderson put the game on ice.
The touchdown was Rendon’s first career catch, and it was a big one, putting the final dagger into any hopes of a Maroon comeback. With a 17-7 lead, the Trojans survived a late rushing touchdown from Austin High and ran out the clock to win their first district contest of the season.
Gephart finished 8-16 for 140 yards and 1 TD, and 12 carries for 81 yards, and Gerlich was 2-4 for 39 yards and added a single rush for 9 yards. The stats don’t tell the whole story for the quarterbacks though, as they were given little time to throw, and were often extending plays with their legs. The Austin High defense tested them, but they were able to get the job done and do enough to get the victory. Waidelich led the Trojans with 4 catches and 45 yards, Small had 3 for 43, and Sharp went for 51 yards on just 2 receptions.
Anderson didn’t dominate Austin High, but they didn’t have to. Sometimes, a win’s a win, and the Trojans are 1-0 in district for the first time since 2021. They’ll face Bowie on Friday, in what is shaping up to be a key matchup for both sides. Anderson will once again be looking for revenge after losing to Bowie by just 3 points last season. For now, though, Anderson fans can enjoy the win against their cross-town rivals.
