WINTHROP – The Traip Academy football team dressed just 19 players Friday night for its Western Class C football game against Winthrop.
The Rangers received key contributions from more than a few of them in a 35-0 win over the Ramblers at Maxwell Field.
“They are a very physical football team,” Winthrop Coach Joel Stoneton said. “They just pound it at you. They are a tough team. We’re happy we hung with them for as long as we did.”
Traip (2-0), which committed 18 penalties for 150 yards, still accomplished what it set out to do: Control the line of scrimmage and wreck the Ramblers with healthy doses of Corey Aldecoa and Devon Draker.
Aldecoa rushed for 109 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Draker gained 101 yards and scored twice on 14 carries.
The Rangers, who finished with 336 yards, had two scoring drives of at least 10 plays that took eight minutes off the clock.
“We like to grind it out,” Aldecoa said. “We like to play physical football.”
Added Traip Coach Ron Ross, whose defense hasn’t been scored on this season: “We have to play everybody. We won with our strengths. Nobody knows us up here.”
They certainly do now.
The Rangers scored on the opening drive, marching 69 yards on 11 plays. Quarterback Chris Czachor ran in from the 1, Christian Montembeau kicked the extra point, and Traip led 7-0.
It stayed that way until Aldecoa rushed for a 6-yard touchdown with 8:55 left in the second quarter.
The Rangers added another score, a 1-yard plunge from Draker, 29 seconds later after Winthrop had a punt blocked inside its own 10.
The 21-0 lead was more than enough for the Traip defense, which held Winthrop to 109 yards.
“We knew they had a good passing game and our secondary would have to play well,” Aldecoa said. “We wanted to stop the run, as well.”
Winthrop quarterback Jared Hanson completed 9 of 20 passes for 76 yards and two interceptions, both by Nate Henderson. Hanson also rushed for 33 yards.
“The speed worked,” Stoneton said, “but we didn’t have enough.”
Draker capped his big night with a 27-yard touchdown run with 2:51 left in the third, ending a 10-play, 80-yard drive.
“We grind it out,” Ross said. “We have to.”
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