Triad football clinches playoff berth at 6-0
By Anthony Jones
TROY — With a 37-22 win over Mascoutah on Oct. 4, Triad football improved to 6-0 and clinched a spot in the IHSA postseason.
The Knights began forging a path to victory on the game’s opening drive, marching 65 yards downfield and scoring on a 19 yard keeper by quarterback Isaac Ackerman. A missed extra point kept the score to 6-0 early in the opening quarter.
Mascoutah’s offense had success on the subsequent drive but ultimately were held to a turnover on downs at Triad’s 23 yard line. Across the remainder of the game, the Indians never had possession with a chance to take the lead.
Leaning on their ground game, the Knights used over five minutes on their next drive, which stretched into the second quarter. Jacob Dulaney capped off the possession with a 29 yard field goal to claim a 9-0 lead.
The second offensive outing for the Indians netted just six yards before defensive end Owen Lightner forced quarterback Baruk Johnson to fumble. Noah Goolsby fell on the loose ball to give the Knights possession just 30 yards from the end zone.
Lightner spoke of the defensive unit that has racked up 11 takeaways through six games, “We were coached up way more this summer than last year. I think this year we’re working more as a team and we’ve just been helping each other. We’ve been making big plays all throughout the year.”
Less than two minutes later, the turnover turned into points as Ackerman connected with sophomore tight end Jacob Niermann for a six yard scoring pass. Dulaney’s extra point gave the team a 16-0 edge.
The Indians responded with their first points of the night, as Johnson found receiver Jordan Beck for a 35 yard score. Their first points of the night came as Mascoutah faced a 4th and 4.
A successful two-point conversion moved the visitors into a 16-8 score with three minutes remaining until halftime.
Triad’s scoring unit capped off a near perfect half of football with another touchdown drive, this time starting at their own 28 yard marker. Ackerman finished the race downfield with a 17 yard keeper, marking his eighth rushing score of the season.
An extra point gave the Knights a 23-8 advantage that held through the final minute of the second quarter.
Mascoutah, who employed an up-tempo and no huddle offense throughout the night, found better offensive success in the latter half.
Their quick moving offense began to reap the benefits of tiring Triad’s defense with a 61 yard scoring drive to pull within 23-16. Johnson added the team’s second score with a three yard rush on 4th and goal before completing a two-point conversion to Beck.
The next three drives all resulted in touchdowns, starting with a 15 yard shovel pass that Ian Dempsey took to paydirt for the Knights. A successful extra point provided the home team with a 30-16 edge.
The Indians quickly counter punched with a 67 yard drive that leaked into the start of the fourth quarter and was wrapped up by a one yard quarterback sneak. A failed two point try kept Mascoutah in a 30-22 hole.
Triad’s offense came to a critical juncture on the following drive, as they were faced with a 3rd and 12 from Mascoutah’s 36 yard line. A dart from Ackerman to Dempsey not only converted the first down, but resulted in a touchdown to move ahead 37-22.
Mascoutah was held scoreless for the remaining seven minutes of action, as they turned the ball over on downs twice.
With the victory, the Knights improved to 6-0 overall and 3-0 in Mississippi Valley Conference play. Triad’s last 6-0 start came in 2019.
The Knights, who stand alone atop of the league standings, will face a key conference test on Oct. 11 as they visit Highland. The Bulldogs, along with Waterloo, hold a 2-1 record in league action.
Highland enters the rivalry bout with an overall record of 3-3. Their trio of defeats have come against 6-0 Breese Central, 5-1 Waterloo and 5-1 Rochelle.
Triad and Highland share two common opponents thus far: Mascoutah and Waterloo.
Triad scored a 31-7 victory over Waterloo, while Highland suffered a 28-14 defeat against the Bulldogs. Both teams won by two possessions against Mascoutah.
“It’s just about execution. It’s about playing our game, having fun and letting it go to see what happens. These are high school kids that love each other and spend so much time with each other. They need to go out and have fun and enjoy time with each other and we’ll see what happens,” Coach Calvin Potthast shared his team’s message headed into the rivalry clash with high conference stakes.
Ian Dempsey is brought down by a group of Indian defenders. (Photo by Anthony Jones)
