Clear skies and warm air—a great night for some football. In the Trojans’ season opener, senior quarterback Drew Cassens ran for four touchdowns and senior running back Joshua Lumpkin added a fifth, all backed by a substantial defensive effort. The Trojans defeated the Buffalo Grove Bison 35-14.

The Trojans trailed through halftime, looking a little slow on both sides of the ball. Despite an increased focus on the team’s pass game heading into the season, completed passes were few and far between. The team threw for a total of 37 yards, in comparison to Buffalo Grove’s 138. The home offense saw early success with run and pass gains alike. 

Trailing 14-7 entering the second half, the Trojans wasted no time tying it with a Cassens TD. 

“I’m a firm believer that you have to be able to run the ball when the other team knows you’re gonna run the ball,” said head coach Joe Horeni heading into the game. The Trojans did just that in the second half. Cassens alone ran for a total of 213 yards throughout the entirety of the game.  

Cassens commanded the offensive side of the ball. Running back senior Joshua Lumpkin also contributed to the success of the Trojans’ run game with 104 rushing yards. 

In a similar fashion, the Trojan defense exploded in the second half. Having given up significant yardage on pass completions early, the coaching staff made changes at half time. 

“That scheme’s nothing without execution, and everyone executed perfectly,” said safety and team captain senior Mark Dennison. 

Dennison managed to break up two similar pass plays that had resulted in large gains early in the game. Junior linebacker Drew Bielawski brought energy to the defensive line with a solo sack and several key wrap-ups. A quick touchdown followed by a fumble recovery by junior  defensive lineman Brendan Truett early in the second half helped to reignite the team energy going both ways. 

The Trojans take on Addison Trail at home tomorrow. Coach Horeni looks to hone in on the team’s fundamentals in preparation. “I think there’s no bigger improvement than from the first game to the second,” Horeni said.