Northwestern Trojans weather storm, hammer York
It seems as though nothing can slow down the Northwestern Trojans lately – not even Mother Nature. Granted, the home-standing York Cougars had their chances, but the Trojans pulled away late for a 36-7 Region 3-4A victory on a stormy night in the Cougar Den.
Northwestern started the game in a hurry, as they always seem to do. York received the opening kickoff, then a three-play drive ended in a punt. The Trojans took five plays to drive 59 yards, capped by a 15-yard Jerry Howard carry to put the visitors ahead 7-0.
Two drives later, Moloney galloped 40 yards to put the Trojans ahead by two touchdowns. Wally Wilmore then cashed in a six-yard conversion to bring the Cougars back to within seven early in the second quarter.
As the weather progressively worsened, the pace of the game slowed. A York drive that began at their own five turned into a safety on a pop pass that was quickly stymied, giving Northwestern a 22-7 halftime margin.
After a scoreless third quarter, Moloney took over. The Trojan signal-caller scored twice early in the fourth, marching in from a yard and two yards, respectively, to put the game out of reach.
A lightning delay came with 7:08 remaining, and after a heavy rain, the game was halted.
Turning point
The Cougars saw a number of opportunities as the third quarter progressed, but one particular missed opportunity proved costly for York.
Northwestern started a drive at their own four midway through the quarter, with York getting constant pressure on Moloney. Moloney was sacked and fumbled at the one-yard line, after which York tried to sccop the ball and convert the short touchdown. Northwestern recovered after a brief scrum, however, allowing the Trojans to punt the ball out of harm’s way.
Critical
The tough breaks for York continued after that aforementioned drive, with the Cougars gaining possession on the Northwestern 32. A five-yard Wally Wilmore run on fourth and one appeared to have the Cougars in business.
The York drive stalled there, however, as a 19-yard sack on third down accompanied by a 15-yard penalty took the Cougars out of range, forcing a punt.
Star contributions
Jerry Howard controlled the action on the ground for the Trojans. Howard rushed 26 times for 202 yards for Northwestern, including the 15-yard scamper to open the scoring. He also hauled in a 15-yard scoring pass from Moloney for an additional score. The Trojan run game contributed 44 carries for 316 yards.
Moloney had an efficient night, completing 11-of-17 passes for 140 yards, adding 93 yards on the ground to go with his three rushing scores.
Box score
Northwestern 36, York 7
Northwestern | 14 | 8 | 0 | 14 | - | 36 |
York | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 |
SCORING SUMMARY
First quarter
N – Jerry Howard 15 run (Thomas Gettys kick) 8:16
N – Moloney 40 run (Gettys kick) 1:22
Second quarter
Y – Wilmore 6 run (Myles Prosser kick) 11:28
N – Howard 15 pass from Moloney (kick blocked) 8:53
N – Safety 2:32
Fourth quarter
N – Moloney 1 run (Gettys kick) 11:58
N – Moloney 2 run (Gettys kick) 8:46
TEAM STATISTICS
N | Y | |
First downs | 22 | 4 |
Rushes-yards | 44-316 | 28-64 |
Passing | 11-17-0 | 2-7-1 |
Passing yards | 140 | 10 |
Fumbles-lost | 3-1 | 3-0 |
Penalties-yards | 3-25 | 6-45 |
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: Northwestern: Jerry Howard 26-202; Gage Moloney 13-93; Dequez Harris 5-21. York: Paul Moore 6-47; Wally Wilmore 15-2; Tyquan McCray 2-0; Brandon Garvin 4-8; Antonio Hardy 1-7.
PASSING: Northwestern: Gage Moloney 11-17-0-140. York: Wally Wilmore 2-7-1-10.
RECEIVING: Nortwestern: Jordan Starkes 3-29; Julian Shockley 3-31; Jamario Holley 2-36; Jerry Howard 3-45. York:: Shandon Cobb 1-0; Javione Matthews 1-10.
RECORDS: Northwestern 6-1 (2-0 Region 3-4A); York 5-2 (1-1).
On deck: Northwestern is off next week; York travels to Gaffney.
This story was originally published October 2, 2015 at 10:49 PM with the headline "Northwestern Trojans weather storm, hammer York."