Trojans make statement against Topsail

TRENTON - It was a statement game.

With quarterback Covair Frost passing for 164 yards and rushing for 164 yards 10th-ranked Jones Senior overwhelmed No. 6 Topsail 45-21 Friday night to clinch at least a share of the Coastal Plains 1-A Conference championship.

While agreeing that the Trojans (9-1, 4-0) were out to make a statement after handing Topsail (9-1, 3-1) its first defeat, coach Greg Hampton didn't want to go to far.

"It's just that we're coming to play," Hampton said. "We're not even looking at the playoffs right now. We've got to deal with Dixon. So once I get done with Dixon, I'll start looking at the playoff situation. But right now we just want to come play good football."

That's exactly what the Trojans did behind Frost and 6-foot-6 Thomas Fryar, who had six receptions for 153 yards - including touchdown passes of 9 and 62 yards.

Frost, once again showing his versatility, completed 11 of 16 passes, including a 58-yard touchdown toss to Codero Foy to go with his a scoring pass to Fryar. The elusive Frost also rushed for touchdowns of 18, 1 and 64 yards.

"It was exciting," Frost said. "We just came out ready to play. We worked hard in practice all this week. We just had to come out here and play like we're supposed to play every Friday."

Topsail didn't score until the fourth quarter, when the Pirates were already down 33-0. Topsail's hopes were hurt by injuries in the first half. Running back Shawn Sidbury re-injured his ankle after on a 28-yard screen pass late in the first quarter and didn't return.

"Sidbury was very, very doubtful going into the game," coach Bryan Davis said. "He tried early on. His ankle's still real sore from the Dixon game. He didn't practice all week."

Then in the second period quarterback Dan Redinger suffered a concussion and was lost for the rest of the game.

"He took a late hit down here and from that point on he didn't know what he was doing," Davis said.

Nick Powers came on for Redinger and ran the ball well, rushing for 95 yards on 20 carries. But it was not nearly enough before the onslaught of the Trojans, something Davis worried about coming in.

"We knew it was going to be more than a formidable task to stay with them. They're extremely athletic. They're well coached," Davis said. "They're very aggressive both offensively and defensively. They have playmakers at so many different positions, and we just didn't play well."

Jones Senior scored on its first possession on Frost's 18-yard run and then made it 14-0 on a 1-yard run by Frost that capped an impressive 17-play, 87-yard drive that took 6:53 which seemed to take something out of the Pirates, who had already lost Sidbury and would lose Redinger moments later.

"The kids played an outstanding ballgame," Hampton said. "They came to play football."