Trojan football came out on top Friday night, as they defeated Hayden High School, 30-13, for their first victory of the 2016 regular season.

Last night’s victory was no easy feat though, as the Trojans’ found themselves leading for the first time at the start of the third quarter.

“We fought through some adversity,” Billy Wagemaker, senior lineman, said. “We definitely got a stern talking to at halftime, but he [Coach Walt Alexander] made us step up. I think that showed tonight.”

Locker room discussion proved to have some effect, as The Trojans came out of halftime and put up six in just four plays. After that, Topeka High outscored Hayden 17-6 for the rest of the game, in part from a big night by senior quarterback Corey Thomas.

“That was probably the most fun game I’ve played in high school,” Thomas said. “They [my teammates] know how to play football and they came out fired up.”

Thomas completed 5 passes on 9 attempts for 58 yards, but also put up 178 yards rushing on 19 attempts.

Thomas might have had the majority of carries for the Trojans, but freshman running back/wide receiver Mieykah Thomas posted similar stats, with 103 yards on 5 carries. He also caught 3 passes for 45 yards and saw time at defensive back in his first game as a varsity Trojan.

Thomas’ impact was felt tonight on both sides of the ball, but he wants to make sure it stays heard.

“I’ve got to prove that I can do it no matter who it’s against,” Thomas said. “That I can still play my game, still do what I do.”

While an uphill battle for some time, this win proved to be an important one for this year’s football team.

“Getting a game under your belt with as many new starters as we had this year is important,” Walt Alexander, head coach, said. “They’re not used to playing that hard at that level and you can’t really simulate it in practice, so once you do it once, it’s easier to do it again.”

The Trojans next game is against Junction City on September 9 at 7:00 p.m. at Junction City high school.