Your Hometown News Source

Pirates close covid football season with win

Trent Gwinn sets P.H.S. scoring record

POMEROY––In a high-scoring game, the Pomeroy Pirate Football Program counted one more win in this five-game covid season, defeating the Clarkston High School Bantam Jayvees 58-42 here March 15. The Pirates docked with a 4-1 record.

Besides the tension of a close game through the first and second quarters, a highlight of the game was junior quarterback Trent Gwinn's move into the top spot in career points for the Pirate Football Program.

Gwinn had 400 points going into the contest and tied previous record holder Tory Knebel 432 with his fifth touchdown and by running the two-point conversion. Gwinn's two fourth-quarter scores put him firmly in the lead with 444 points scored over 24 games, according to Pirate Head Coach Kyle Kimble.

"It felt amazing and it has been a goal of mine since freshman year!" Gwinn told the East Washingtonian this week. "I've always looked up to Tory Knebel (the holder of the lead scoring before me) and always wanted to be exactly like him and have a football mindset like the one he had."

The team's final game was a hybrid, said Kimble. "The Pirates played eight-man offense and 11-man defense versus the Clarkston Bantam Junior Varsity," he said.

The lead changed three times before Clarkston caught up and knotted the score at 22 late in the second quarter. But mere seconds later, Gwinn broke the tie with a 70-yard touchdown scamper, plus he added the two-point conversion, giving the Pirates a 30-22 lead.

That lead, thanks to the stalwart Pirate defense, held as Clarkston scored next midway through the third period, but couldn't tie it with the extra point, the Pirates leading 30-28 and never relinquishing the lead again.

Gwinn broke another long run, this time for 63 yards less than a minute after Clarkston's last score, and he passed to Oliver Severs for the point after and a 38-28 lead over the Bantam Jayvees. It was with this touchdown that Gwinn tied with Tory Knebel at career 432 points.

The Pirates caught the Baby Bantams off guard on the next score, Gwinn throwing a 43-yard pass to eligible guard Braedyn White for six. Noah Lamb rumbled into the end zone for the extra point and an 18-point lead for Pomeroy.

Opening the fourth quarter, Clarkston's Jaden Robertson punched in a one-yard score to shave the difference to ten points, 46-36.

But Gwinn wasn't to be stopped as he scored the next two touchdowns for the Pirates, the first a 25-yard run and the second for nine yards and a convincing 58-36 lead. The Bantams added six more on a 21-yard Christian Howell pass reception from Carter Steinwand and the final 58-42 tally.

The Pirates counted 529 yards of total offense, 487 rushing and 42 passing, 307 of those yards credited to Gwinn. The junior quarterback passed sparingly, completing four of eight for 85 yards and one touchdown.

Pomeroy averaged 11.5 yards per play, 14 yards per pass completed and 12.5 yards per carry rushing. Joining Gwinn with a good rushing game was Noah Lamb with 80 yards on 10 carries and Colton Slaybaugh with 58 total rushing yards on 13 carries.

Clarkston's Italka Millan led his team with 148 rushing yards on 20 rushes, and Christian Howell made 75 yards on 9 carries, part of the Bantam's 227 total rushing yards. Clarkston threw for 315 yards, 232 of those to Landon Taylor for three touchdowns and a 19.3 average. Howell pulled in four passes for 69 yards and two scores.

Against the balanced Bantam Jayvees, a number of Pirates made high marks on defense. White and Severs both made nine solo tackles, White getting in on a total of 11 and Severs 10. Noah Lamb had five solos and Jesse Mings four. Trace Roberts and Gwinn each had three solo tackles.

Clarkston at Pomeroy (3-15)

Pom 6 24 14 14-58

Clark 8 14 6 14-42

Scoring

Pom-Gwinn 12 yd run. Run failed.

Clark-Taylor 16 yd pass from Steinwand. Howell run.

Pom-Gwinn 1 yd run. Slaybaugh run.

Clark-Safety.

Clark-Taylor 20 yd pass from Steinwand. Run failed.

Pom-Gwinn 20 yd run. Lamb run.

Clark-Taylor 25 yd pass from Steinwand. Pass failed.

Pom-Gwinn 70 yd run. Gwinn run.

Clark-Howell 20 yd pass from Steinwand. Run failed.

Pom-Gwinn 62 yd run. Severs pass from Gwinn.

Pom-White 43 yd pass from Gwinn. Lamb run.

Clark-Robertson 1 yd run. Howell pass from Steinwand.

Pom-Gwinn 25 yd run. Pass failed.

Pom-Gwinn 9 yd run. Run failed.

Clark-Howell 21 yd pass from Steinwand. Run failed.

Pom Clark

First Downs 20 24

Rushes-Yds

     39-487 39-227

Passing (Att-Comp-Yds)

4-8-85 19-34-315

Punts 0-0 1-(-1)

Penalties 3-45 10-95

Total Offense 529 542

Rushing 487 227

Receiving 85 315

Individual Statistics

Rushing: Pomeroy-Gwinn 14-307, 7 TDs; Lamb 10-80; Slaybaugh 13-58; Vecchio 1-(-1). Clark-Millan 20-148, Howell 9-75, Blunt 1-13, Robertson 3-4.

Passing: Pomeroy-Gwinn 4-8-85 yds, 1 TD, 1 Int. Clark-Steinwand 18-32-311, 5 TDs, 1 Int.; Milan 1-2-4-0-0.

Receiving: Pomeroy-Slaybaugh 3-42; White 1-43, 1 TD. Clar-Taylor 12-232, 3 TDs; Howell 4-69 2 TDs; Summers 1-11; Steinwand 1-4.