FOOTBALL: Register injury, Redd’s five TDs ruin Trinity’s chances against reigning champs

The Trinity Crusaders hung with the defending GIAA AA state champions as they returned to Cleve Warnock Field Friday evening, but had their upset hopes dashed by big plays and a key injury in the second half, as they fell to Edmund Burke 41-28.

Trinity (1-2 overall) will be back in action next Friday as it hits the road to face Augusta Prep. 

The Crusaders took the opening kickoff at their 22 and went right to work. A steady diet of Wade Register and some key plays in the passing game by Ben Castro-Poveda led to the game’s first score. 

Castro-Poveda found Bryson Barrs on a 33-yard reception to set Trinity up with a first and goal. Two plays later, Register found paydirt from five yards out to cap the 10-play drive and give Trinity a 7-0 lead midway through the opening period.

Edmund Burke wasted no time, needing just seven plays to go 80 yards and knot the score. Marc Owen Chancey would connect with Owen Redd on a 17-yard scoring strike to tie it up at 7. 

Redd finding the end zone would be a recurring theme for the night.

Trinity’s next possession was hurt by a false start to open the drive, and the Crusaders were forced to punt. Register blasted a 66-yard bomb that rolled dead at the Edmund Burke 9 to flip the field.  

Unfortunately, the Crusader defense could not take advantage of the punt. The Spartans would march 91 yards on eight plays to take the lead. Chancey found Redd again, this time from 33 yards, to put EBA up 14-7.

The next Trinity possession was promising. The Crusaders would pick up three first downs and get to Spartan territory. But rather than attempt a long field goal, the Crusaders elected to go for it on fourth down.  They came up short and turned it over on downs.

Edmund Burke wasted no time extending the lead further. Chancey found Redd on a swing pass, and the electric senior did the rest, weaving 65 yards through the Crusader defense for his third score of the half.  The extra point was missed, but the Spartans led 20-7 with less than five minutes left in the half.

The ensuing Trinity possession started behind the sticks again with a delay of game penalty, and the Crusaders couldn’t get anything going, forced again to punt. Register bombed another one, this time 68 yards to flip the field yet again, and the Trinity D would take advantage. 

The Crusaders finally got some pressure on Chancey, and Asher Evans would come up with a huge interception, returning it to the 17 yard line to set the Crusaders up in prime scoring position.

Castro-Poveda scrambled for eight yards on third down and Register would punch it in from three yards out with just 10 seconds left in the half to make the score 20-14 heading to the locker room.

Unfortunately for the Crusaders, Register was evaluated for a concussion at the half, and was ruled out the remainder of the night.

Edmund Burke took advantage right away. The Spartans would need just six plays to go 64 yards on the opening drive of the third quarter. Chancey connected with Maddox Lee on a 47-yard catch and run to put EBA up 27-14 just a couple of minutes into the second half.

Following a Crusader punt, the Spartans went back to work using the ground game. They would go 76 yards in nine plays, all runs, with Redd punching it in from 11 yards to increase the lead. The extra point was missed again, but the Spartans led 33-14.

A holding call negated a long run by Jakob Sahli, a recent transfer out of West Laurens, on Trinity’s next drive, and the Crusaders were forced to punt again.

Redd took another handoff and raced 69 yards on the first play for his fifth touchdown of the night. The two-point try was good, and EBA was rolling, up 41-14 late in the third.

After the teams traded punts on their next possessions, Trinity finally put another big drive together.  

A false start on the first play put the Crusaders behind the sticks, but Ben Helton ripped off a 22-yard run to get the drive going. Castro-Poveda eventually found Evans for a 20-yard touchdown pass to make the score 41-21 with 3:27 left in the game.

Trinity’s defense would come up with another big play on the next Spartan possession. A couple of runs for no gain sandwiched around a false start had Edmund Burke in a third and 15 hole from its own 28.  

Chancey attempted a wide receiver screen, a play that had torched the Crusaders all night.  This time Cruz Giles read the play perfectly, jumped the route and returned it for a pick six to make the score 41-28 with 1:30 on the clock.  

Trinity couldn’t come up with the onside kick, and the game would end at that score.

Castro-Poveda ended the night 8-for-13 with 98 yards and a touchdown. Register had 72 yards on 18 carries and a pair of scores. Helton added 47 yards on seven attempts. Barrs had three catches for 50 yards.

Edmund Burke’s Redd finished with six carries for 133 yards and six catches for 179 yards. Chancey was 11-for-15 with 265 yards and five touchdowns. He also had a hand in 10 tackles.