NEW PARIS — National Trail’s football team got back in the win column with a convincing 48-20 win over visiting Tri-County North on Friday, Sept. 27.
A week after suffering its first loss, a 20-17 heart-breaker in overtime to Arcanum, the Blazers dominated the second half against North to improve to 4-1 overall and 2-1 in the Cross County Conference.
North fell to 0-5 and 0-3.
Dallas Smith scored from a yard out on a QB sneak to put Trail up 6-0. With 2:08 left in the first, Smith found Clay Steiner from 6-yards out and a Colton Toms point after was good to give the Blazers a 13-7 lead after the first quarter.
North tied the game at 13 with 3:16 left in the half, but the game didn’t stay tied for long.
Smith find Steiner again, this time from 63 yards out to put the Blazers up 20-13.
The Panthers struck first in the third quarter to tie the game at 20-20.
The next Blazer drive took 1 play as Peyton Lane found pay dirt from 65 yards out and the Blazers led 27-20 with 4:40 left in the third.
Trail added to its lead in the third.
Smith found Zach Woodall for a 10-yard TD with 1:22 left in the third.
On the final play of the quarter, Smith and Woodall hooked up again, this time for a 75 yard catch and run to make it a 41-20 game.
The Blazers capped the scoring on another Peyton Lane touchdown run. Lane raced 77 yards with 4:12 for the final points of the game.
Smith finished the game with 213 yards passing and four touchdowns. Lane added 230 on the ground and two scores. Woodall had 101 receiving yards, while Stiner finished with 74.
On defense, Lane added nine tackles, as did Elijah Hughes. Coleton Everman added eight.
Trail will travel to Mississinawa Valley (3-2) on Friday, Oct. 4. The Blackhawks are coming off a 55-20 win over Twin Valley South.
North returns home to host rival South (1-4).
