By Max Clark
For The Signal
A season defined by resilience and roster shortages came to a close Friday as Trinity Classical Academy fell 14-6 to Pioneer in a Division 14 playoff game played under unrelenting rain.
Trinity, which won its first-ever 11-man playoff game a week ago despite fielding just 23 players, leaned heavily on two-way leaders Andrew Carlson and Hudson Sweitzer. But the Knights’ offense struggled to overcome penalties and slippery conditions while the defending champion Titans controlled the tempo on the ground.
“Rainy weather is football weather,” Trinity head coach Dave Eastham said. “But in the rain, especially with the injuries we’ve had, we just don’t have a passing offense. Getting into second-and-long or third-and-long made it difficult for us.”
The Knights opened the scoring early. After Pioneer quarterback Noah Anderson had a pass tipped at the line, senior defender Patrick Cherry grabbed it and raced untouched to the end zone. The blocked extra point gave Trinity a 6-0 lead.
Pioneer answered with a grinding, run-heavy possession. Running backs Steven Roman, Damian Salguero and Jose Rojas carried the Titans inside the red zone before Trinity’s defense stiffened. Carlson, who played nearly every snap on defense and as the quarterback, grabbed an interception near the goal line to thwart a fourth-down attempt.
Pioneer eventually pushed ahead late in the first quarter when Anderson punched in a short touchdown run for a 7-6 lead. Trinity responded with brief gains from Sweitzer, but flags continued to stall drives. A holding call erased what would have been a key first down early in the second quarter, and a false start later forced a punt.
With heavy rain still falling, both teams kept the ball on the ground. Christopher Brown and Cherry delivered repeated backfield stops for Trinity, including tackles for loss on Salguero and Rojas. But the Titans’ offensive line created just enough push on key downs, allowing Anderson to convert a fourth-and-3 midway through the third quarter.
Trinity opened the second half with momentum, pushing to the Pioneer 48 behind Carlson and Sweitzer. But on fourth-and-2, Sweitzer was stopped a yard short.
Pioneer turned the game on its head early in the fourth quarter. The Titans’ defense intercepted Carlson and returned it to the Knights’ 8-yard line. Salguero powered in up the middle, extending the Titans’ lead to 14-6 with 9:03 remaining.
After back-to-back three-and-outs by both offenses, Trinity had the ball late with a chance to tie the game.
Trinity’s final push faltered after a penalty and a broken play set up second-and-22. A deep shot toward Cherry slipped through his hands in the rain, giving Pioneer the ball back with 3:35 remaining. Roman and the Titans converted a fourth-and-1 on the ensuing drive, allowing Pioneer to run out the clock.
“They were physical up front and they were the better team tonight, hats off to them,” Eastham said. “But I will take my boys over anybody, anytime. It just wasn’t our night tonight.”
Despite the loss, Eastham praised his seniors and the effort that carried Trinity to its deepest postseason run.
“It’s hard to end for these guys, but I’m proud of us,” he said. “We’re going to win and lose the same — we keep our heads high, and we’ll be back to the drawing board. I feel terrible for the seniors that won’tget to suit up anymore, but all in all, we had a great season.”
