FOOTBALL: Trifecta of turnovers, Turberville touchdowns as Trojans tackle Treutlen for third win

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BILLY, THE GOAT: Quarterback Billy Turberville rushed for all three Johnson County touchdowns Friday night, grinding out 47 yards on nine carries for the team’s third-best total on the ground. His four touchdowns are a team-high through five games/DANNY SCARBORO

WRIGHTSVILLE – The Johnson County Trojans scored 21 unanswered points in the first half on their way to a third victory of the season Friday, 21-6 over Treutlen.

Quarterback Billy Turberville had a big night, scoring all but one point for his team in a game Johnson County head coach Don Norton described as a special one for his team.

“That was a big win for Johnson County football,” Norton said. “Treutlen is very big; they’re well coached; they’re fast.”

Treutlen’s first year head coach, Alan Shurling, was making his first trip to “The Blue Monster” that is Herschel Walker Field.

“I thought Johnson County came out with a good gameplan and they got us down,” he said. “Our kids played hard. At least we won the second half. It’s just a struggle. We’ve got a lot of mental things to clean up.”

Although the game is considered a rivalry, the schools’ varsity teams haven’t met in four years. There was, however, an unusual motivation for the home team.

“Our kids reminded me throughout the week that Treutlen beat them in the eighth grade championship game, 42 to nothing, and they felt like they had to prove someone tonight, and I think they played like it,” Norton said.

Xavier Wright elaborated after the game.

“Four years ago they beat us bad in middle school,” he said. “It feels great to get that win back.”

AREA 51: Save for the fortunate tip that led to a 71-yard touchdown completion in the second half, Johnson County’s defense made Herschel Walker
Field a virtual no-fly zone for the Treutlen passing game, which got just nine more yards on five attempts. Here, Twix Sharber (51, above) pressures the throw of Treutlen’s Kavion Peeples that would be impressively broken up downfield by Tayshawn Norris (5, below) during the second half/DANNY SCARBORO

Tashawn Norris had a 23-yard kickoff return to begin the game, then began scrimmage at the Viking 45 with an eight-yard run to begin the 11-play drive. Turberville ended it with an 11-yard touchdown.

Will Peebles kicked the point-after, and the Trojans led 7-0 with 5:11 to play in the first.

The Trojans held Treutlen to four plays, then on the punt, and a bad snap put the ball on the Vikings’ 12.

A Treutlen facemask penalty got the ball to the 5, where Turberville ran around the end and got his second touchdown of the night. With a penalty on the point-after, the Trojans opted for a conversion and Tuberville crossed the goal line for a third time, putting them up 15-0 with 2:43 in the quarter.

There were five fumbles and one interception in the game.

ALMOST PICKED: JoCo’s Cory King (6) and Jeremiah Scott (23) nearly got their hands on this throw for the Trojans’ second interception and fourth turnover of the night, but the ball narrowly slipped through their clutches and into the hands of Treutlen’s Jordan Coney, who took it the remaining 40 of 71 yards on his catch for the Vikings’ only touchdown/DANNY SCARBORO

Jeremiah Taylor recovered a Treutlen fumble on the Viking 43 with a little over two minutes in the half. Three plays later, the Trojans fumbled and Treutlen recovered on the 24-yard line.

Five plays later, Norris picked a Treutlen pass and ran 47 yards to the Viking 13. A Treutlen facemask on the next play got the ball to the 4.

Three plays later, Turberville scored on one-yard run with 34 seconds in the half. The kick attempt failed, but the Trojans led 21-0.

At the half, Johnson County had nine first downs and 26 plays for 110 yards. Treutlen had run 17 plays for 22 and only three first downs.

WRIGHT OF WAY: Johnson County’s Xavier Wright follows the block of Olarte Wilcher on a second-half run. Wright, with six carries for 22 yards, was one of six contributors to the team’s 201-yard effort on the ground/DANNY SCARBORO

The Vikings had a 14-play, 81-yard drive in the third quarter, but were stopped from 10 yards out.

Treutlen shocked the Trojans on the first play of its next drive as Kylan Page connected with Jordan Coney on a 71-yard touchdown pass. Jadarian Carswell blocked the point-after, attempt making it 21-6 with 8:01.

Treutlen never gave up, but the Trojans managed to run the clock.

Damarion “Twix” Sharber said Treutlen was, “a very competitive team,” and the win was hard-earned. He was glad for his team to resume playing the Vikings after a four year layoff.

“In my honest opinion, I think we showed up,” Sharber said.

Norton sees things getting better for his team at mid-season.

“They’re starting to believe and listen to the right people,” he said. “So that’s what we’ve been talking about: good sportsmanship, listen to the right people, stay positive and good things will happen, and I think we saw that tonight.”

Treutlen’s Roderick Fuller led all rushers in the game with 15 carries for 107 yards. Because of a big second half, Treutlen actually led Johnson County in total offense, 212 yards to 201.