Triton Central

TC FOOTBALL BEATS SCECINA IN SECTIONAL OPENER. The Triton Central Tigers opened the IHSAA Class 2A Sectional No. 37 tournament in impressive fashion Friday night, rolling past Scecina Memorial 49-23 at home to advance to the sectional semifinals. The victory improves Triton Central to 4-6 on the season and gives the Tigers another week to continue their postseason run. Triton Central wasted little time getting its offense going. Quarterback Matthew Wilkins connected with Henry Kemper on a 68-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter to give the Tigers an early 7-0 lead. After Scecina answered with a 28-yard field goal, Landon Ball broke free for a 34-yard touchdown run, extending the TC advantage to 14-3. The Tigers continued their offensive surge in the second quarter. Cooper Marlin opened the scoring with a 65-yard touchdown run, pushing the lead to 21-3. Scecina responded with a kickoff return for a touchdown, but Triton Central answered right back. Wilkins scored on a 29-yard rushing touchdown before connecting with Kemper for two more touchdown passes, covering 36 yards and one yard, respectively. The offensive explosion sent the Tigers into halftime with a commanding 42-10 lead. Triton Central added to its advantage in the third quarter when Marlin scored on another explosive run, this time from 37 yards out, giving the Tigers a 49-10 lead. Scecina scored twice in the fourth quarter, but the Tigers' early offensive production proved more than enough to secure the 49-23 victory. Triton Central finished with 468 total yards, including 310 rushing yards and 158 passing yards. The Tigers averaged more than 10 yards per play and committed no turnovers while forcing two Scecina turnovers. Wilkins completed 8-of-10 passes for 156 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 46 yards and a touchdown. Kemper was his top target, finishing with five receptions for 128 yards and three touchdowns, including the 68-yard score that opened the game. The Tigers' ground game was equally impressive. Marlin led the way with 115 yards and two touchdowns on just five carries, highlighted by runs of 65 and 37 yards. Ball added 88 rushing yards and a touchdown on five carries, while Tevian Faulkner contributed 51 yards on 10 carries. Defensively, Nolan Thompson led the Tigers with nine tackles. Ty Bergman recorded five tackles, an assist, two sacks and two tackles for loss. Payton McKillop added four tackles and four assists, while Knox Coen finished with three tackles, an assist and a fumble recovery. The Tigers' balanced offensive attack and opportunistic defense helped them take control early and maintain that advantage throughout the contest. Tigers Travel to Lutheran for Sectional Semifinals Triton Central will hit the road Friday night for the IHSAA Sectional No. 37 semifinals against Lutheran, which enters the matchup undefeated at 9-0. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 PM The Tigers will look to keep their postseason run alive against one of the state's top teams.