Now making their fourth playoff appearance in the last five years, it’s safe to say the Trojans have found consistency in getting to the playoffs.
When Troy (7-3) faces Godley (6-4) in a Class 2A Division I bi-district game at 7:30 tonight at Brewer Bear Stadium, the Trojans will be looking to build on that success, while the Wildcats will just be trying to establish some success.
“They are a good football team,” Troy coach Grady Rowe said. “They’ve put over 100 points on the board the last two games. Once you get into the playoffs, both teams will be fired up and ready to play.”
This is just the Wildcats’ sixth playoff appearance since 1990 and they have won only one postseason game in that span. In 2006, they brought in Ronnie Stephens as head coach and had their first winning season in six years.
Last season, despite a 5-5 overall record in the regular season, Godley returned to the playoffs, where it was booted in the first round by Henrietta 15-9.
But the signs of progress were there and it showed this year, when Godley won its first two games of the season. With a couple of key injuries, the Wildcats dropped to 2-2 before district began and they’ve slowly gained momentum each week. They enter the playoffs with a three-game winning streak in which they’ve outscored opponents 160-38.
That stretch has given the Wildcats some confidence heading into today’s bi-district game.
“We’ve made steady improvement and played much better defensively,” Stephens said. “We’ve played with some confidence.”
But the Trojans are playoff tested. The running back duo of Jeremy Conrad and Derrick Vasta helped Troy advance to the second round last year, and this season they added Cyrus McKenzie to form a potent trio that has combined for 2,089 yards.
“You always kind of adjust your offense to meet your personnel,” Rowe said. “This year we seem to have a lot of dangerous running backs and our offensive line has gelled.”
Rowe added that the offense is based on deception and should get a good test against an aggressive Wildcat defense.
But he also added that stopping Godley’s offense wouldn’t be too easy, either. Quarterback Riley Good has completed 118 of 205 passes for 1,777 yards and 15 touchdowns, and running back Landry Martinez has rushed for 888 yards on 138 carries.
“Their offense is explosive,” Rowe said. “It starts with their quarterback. He throws well and he runs well. Plus they have a pretty big line and some dangerous backs and receivers. They are not one-dimensional. But we’ve done pretty well against the run this year, so we expect them to try to pass on us.”
The winner will face Winnsboro, which defeated Edgewood 55-6 on Thursday night.
mhood@temple-telegram.com
