Titans keep score close but lose
The Trask Titans went to the home field of the Ashley Screaming Eagles looking for their first win of the young season last Friday. They left still looking for that elusive win, falling 31-27 in a close one.
The Screaming Eagles also had been looking for their first win under new coach Tom Eanes.
Eanes isn’t use to losing. As coach of the Pender Patriots for the last several years, he’s led them deep into the post-season including the state 1-AA state championship game last season.
As rivals to the Patriots, the Titans are used to playing Eanes-coached teams and their triple-option attack.
The Ashley game was the second high scoring game for the Titans. Trask lost to North Brunswick 50-44 on Thursday, Aug. 25. Forty-four points and 27 points usually result in victories in football, but the Titans are still coping with defensive problems early in the season.
In the second half, the Screaming Eagles twice took 10-point leads, but the Titans battled back to trim those leads to three points.
A 32-yard touchdown run by Ryan Hayes midway through the third quarter gave Ashley a 24-14 lead. But the Titans clawed back on a four-yard touchdown run by Damion Lesine with about eight minutes to play in the game, making the score 24-21.
With less than two minutes to play, Charles Dent rushed nine yards for a touchdown, putting the Screaming Eagles back up by 10 points, 31-21.
The Titans, though, continued to play hard, scoring on a three-yard run by Damion Lesine with no time on the clock.
The Screaming Eagles led 17-14 at halftime. Ashley lost the lead twice to Trask before scoring that go-ahead touchdown with less than three minutes left in the second quarter.
The Trask offense piled up a hoard of rushing yards. Quarterback Josh Wright rushed for 118 yards on 16 carries while Quan Brown added 106 yards on 20 carries.
