WYOMISSING – The Wyomissing Area Spartans outran the visiting Trinity Shamrocks for a 35-14 non-league victory Saturday afternoon at the A-Field. Senior halfbacks Charlie McIntyre and Drew Eisenhower scored two touchdowns each to pace the Spartans.
Trinity (1-2), playing out of the tough Mid-Penn Capital division, was ready and willing to provide the state-ranked Spartans a stern non-league test, but they were unable to effectively deal with Wyomissing’s (3-0) biggest assets.
The Spartan’s dominating offensive line, led by Penn State commit J’Ven Williams and senior tackle Pacen Ziegler opened holes up the middle and on the edge for Wyomissing’s stable of running backs to gallop through. Trinity did their best to maintain their defensive responsibilities, but was physically unable to shed the blocks of Williams and company, and therefore unable to slow down the Spartans.
Williams, who was used as a pulling lineman throughout the game, opened gaping holes on the edge for McIntyre, Eisenhower, and junior fullback Ryker Jones to run through. The clearest example of the blocking mismatch he embodies occurred on McIntyre’s 14-yard second-quarter touchdown run when Williams manhandled three Trinity defenders out of the play…by himself.
The Spartan linemen were just as dominant on the defensive side of the ball. Williams, Ziegler, and junior tackle Caleb Brewer stifled the Shamrock’s offensive scheme, forcing quarterback Caleb Wray to scramble outside the pocket to move the chains when he was able to do so.
To Trinity’s credit, the young Shamrocks never stopped fighting and were able to get on the scoreboard in the fourth quarter through a 54-yard dash by sophomore quarterback Tanie Young, who outran several of Wyomissing’s second-string defenders on route to the score.
The Spartans’ first-team defense also dealt successfully with Trinity’s freshman phenom, Messiah Mickens, by forcing him to the boundary for solid gains, but refusing to allow him big plays. Mickens was able to punch in a touchdown against the Spartan’s third-string defense late in the fourth quarter.
Wyomissing, who should be the top-ranked 3A team in Pennsylvania following Belle Vernon’s 14-6 loss to McKeesport Area, will travel to arch-rival Berks Catholic (0-3) next week for the renewal of the Backyard Brawl and the first Lancaster-Lebanon Section 4 game for each school. Trinity will travel to West Perry (3-0).
