ELIZABETH - Josh Trembly connected with Jon Cain for a pair of first-half touchdowns and had 273 yards passing at intermission here Friday night at Wilson-Eismon Field and Class A No. 9 Wirt County went on to post a 35-6 victory against Parkersburg Catholic.
After a scoreless first quarter where the Crusaders managed to rush 16 times for 75 yards, the Tiger offense finally got going and put up three scores in the second period en route to taking a 21-0 advantage at halftime.
Wirt County, which had a 66-yard TD pass from Trembly to JT Stephens called back on the opening series, watched its first possesion end via turnover when Crusader Charles Schriner recovered a Cody Ferguson fumble.
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Photo by Jay W. Bennett
Wirt County’s Josh Trembly, pictured here during pregame warmups, threw for 297 yards and two touchdowns to help lead the Tigers past Parkersburg Catholic.
Even though the Crusaders, now 2-3 with a road game at Doddridge County next Friday, managed to pick up first droves and sustain drives the visitors couldn't get into the red zone.
With the orange and black starting their first drive of the second quarter at midfield, Trembly found Cain all alone down the right sideline in front of the Tiger bench. Cain hauled in the pass and made two Crusaders miss as he finished a 50-yard catch-and-run touchdown to put the hosts ahead for good at 6-0 with 10:12 left in the second.
Following a three-and-out by PCHS on its next series, which got off to a bad start on first down when Tiger Daniel McCue tackled Schriner for a 3-yard loss, Wirt County struck quick. The Tigers used a 40-yard bomb from Trembly to Damian Rhodes to move the pigskin from their own 28 to the Crusader 32. Six plays later, Ferguson went up the gut from 7 yards out and after Chad Moore's second extra point boot it was 14-0 at the 5:57 mark.
Wirt County (4-1) then forced another PCHS three-and-out, but Trembly ended up being picked off by Nick Roedersheimer in the end zone when he threw into double coverage.
After the Tiger defense stood tall again and got possession back at the PCHS 41, Trembly hit Cain on a slant and he raced to paydirt for the 21-0 halftime advantage.
Parkersburg Catholic's lone score came on its first drive of the third quarter. Although PCHS had to kickoff, the ball was scooped up by Crusader Logan Arnold and that led to a Schriner 2-yard TD run, but the two-point conversion rush failed.
A McCue sack of Mitch Davis helped end PCHS's next drive and it was 28-6 Tigers when Jake Linville scampered in from 17 yards out at 5:35 of the third. Rhodes' 21-yard run off tackle with 8:18 left in the contest capped the scoring.
Trembly finished 13 of 25 for 297 yards. Cain (3-101) and Trent Hardbarger (5-81) were his top targets.
Schriner rushed for a game-high 58 yards while Rhodes (50) and Ferguson (49) led the ground game for the Tigers, who are off next Friday and then play at Buffalo on Oct. 5.
