What? Where Am I?

Huh. After wandering around all this time in the dark, I've finally managed to stumble back onto my own blog. Yep, I'm still around and out of the funk brought on by the end of the football season. With the end of the year rapidly approaching, it seems like a good time for a sampling of what's been going on. - If you're a regular visitor, you'll notice that my banners have disappeared. This happened a while ago, when my hosting company discontinued their service, the second time that's happened to me this year, I think. I've found a new host, though, and the banners will be back. I'm in the process of deciding whether to simply upload the old ones or create a bunch of new ones. - I'm also in the process of contemplating, at least mildly, moving on from cable television and switching to a dish service of some sort. I've had DirecTV before and had a ton of problems with it; but, to be fair, the system wasn't professionally installed. My dad has it now and has occasional issues, but nothing like what I had. At any rate, I feel like a dish service might be able to offer a better deal for a comparable package, and I also like some of the features they offer (remote programming of DVR, onscreen score guide, more HD channels, etc.). But, on the flip side, I don't really want to get locked into a contract, and I'm still leery of dish performance, especially in adverse weather. So we'll see. - Christmas was good. I took a couple of days off work last week so Brandi and I could travel up to her hometown to spend some time with her family. We had dinner and spent some time with her mom on Wednesday, then spent Christmas Eve with her dad and stepmom. Normally we spend Christmas Day with my parents, but my mom has been under the weather, so we just had a nice, low-key day here by ourselves. - When iTunes started charging $1.29 for some more popular songs, I thought the tradeoff was going to be that some other songs would be reduced to $0.79. Where are the $0.79 songs? - I went to the bookstore tonight in hopes of picking up a novel or three. I'm quite fond of my local independent bookstore, but I have to admit that my last several trips there have resulted in me leaving emptyhanded. Tonight was no exception. Apart from the big-ticket writers (King, Grisham, etc.), their selection is pretty limited. They might have a book or two from a lesser-known writer, but it's a crapshoot. And it's disheartening to finally come across something you are looking for, as I did a couple of times this evening, only to find that the cover is bent, or there's a section of pages with mangled corners. I'm admittedly a little bit of a snob about such things - I want a new book to look like a new book. - I actually haven't been to any sporting events since Troy's football season ended in disappointment (as I referenced above). That'll change this weekend, as I'm planning to make my first trip of the season to Anderson Arena to see the BG Falcons men's basketball team take on the St. Louis Billikens (and Coach Rick Majerus). Basketball season doesn't even feel like it's started since I haven't been to Anderson yet. I'm really looking forward to seeing the Falcons in action, and I have to soak up that atmosphere while I can - just one season remains at Anderson after this one, and then the Falcons will move into the shiny new Stroh Center. - While I won't be attending, BG's football team plays tomorrow afternoon at the Humanitarian Bowl in Boise (4:30 ET, ESPN). They'll be taking on the Idaho Vandals on the blue turf. Should be a good one if you like offense. BG's main threat, wide receiver Freddie Barnes (a Biletnikoff Award finalist), will likely set a new record for most catches in a season. - Of course, the topic of BG football leads to the topic of Urban Meyer. He's an amazing coach, and college is football is better with him in it; I just hope he isn't risking his health by continuing to coach. I really enjoy watching his teams play (especially back when he was on BG's sideline), and I don't think there's anyone else even remotely like him out there. Of course, that's largely due to his intensity, which apparently isn't doing his heart any good. Hopefully a leave of absence will be enough to get and keep him on track in that regard.

Sidney 15 Troy 14 (OT)

This one hurts. The Trojan defense, so stout all season and all game long, couldn't stop Sidney's 2-point conversion attempt in overtime. Just like that, the game, the winning season, the playoff chances - all gone. What really hurts is that this is a game the Trojans should have won. Easily. In regulation. Instead, they beat themselves with a couple of empty red zone trips (one blocked field goal, one turnover on the 2-yard line) and a boatload of penalties at terrible moments. Say what you will about the officials - and the Troy fans in the stands had plenty to say, not entirely without merit - you really can't debate that the Trojans repeatedly put themselves in bad spots. The defense did an amazing job of keeping them in the game, but the offense just didn't have enough to overcome the mistakes. And really, that's about all I have to say about this one. The Trojans finish the season at 5-5, which, given the youth of the team, is an accomplishment of sorts, I guess. Still, with everything they had at stake, this loss is just hard to take. This Troy team was so much fun (albeit also frustrating at times) to watch this season, and I'm not ready for it to be over. I know a playoff spot was far from guaranteed even with a win, but I'd much rather be sitting here waiting for the computer points to be released than just wallowing in disappointment. Getting a chance to travel to Dublin to serve as fodder for an outstanding Coffman team in the first round of the Region 3 playoffs may not seem like much of a reward, but I think it would have been phenomenal for this young team to have that experience. Ah well. At the very least, we'll be able to go into next season with high hopes. So many key players are back, and the schedule, on paper, looks to be a little easier, with Centerville, Wayne, and Lebanon coming off and Springboro, Beavercreek, and Miamisburg being added (although we're also swapping Middletown for Xenia). The first game next year is on August 27, and now it's time to start looking forward to that. One more thing, though - I just want to acknowledge one last time senior defensive tackle Xavier Ford, who was just a sheer joy to watch all season long. He was the unquestionable leader of the defense both on the field and on the sidelines. The Trojans have a lot of talent coming back, but we're going to miss that kid. UPDATE (Saturday afternoon): Looking at the unofficial numbers, I have to believe the Trojans would have made it into the playoffs if they had won. They got all the help they needed; they just couldn't take care of the one piece of business under their control. Unfortunate.

Troy 26 Piqua 0

So. In this shot of the visitors' side of Troy Memorial Stadium at kickoff of tonight's annual Troy-Piqua game, we see how the town of Piqua supports its team when it is struggling. That is, by far, the weakest turnout I've seen from either side in this normally heated rivalry. Normally this game requires an early arrival to ensure you can even get a seat in Troy's 10,000-seat stadium; tonight, as you can see, you could have waltzed in right at kickoff and found yourself a prime spot on the Piqua side. Now, to be fair, the Troy side was by no means full, but I can't imagine it looked anything like this from the opposite side. And I can't understand it. This was my 19th consecutive Troy-Piqua game. I've seen games where both teams were powerhouses, where both teams were pedestrian, where both teams were weak, and where one team had a decided advantage over the other. I've seen scintillating games that went down to the wire, I've seen blowouts by each side, and I've seen everything in between. I've left the stadium after the final gun everywhere from exhilarated to despondent. I have never been bored by a Troy-Piqua game, never been sorry that I attended. I can't imagine missing one. Even when the game ends up playing out more or less like you'd expect, like this one did, you just never know going in. Yes, Piqua is struggling this year. Still, if that's your team, knowing the history of this game, why wouldn't you go? Why not go cheer your face off and lend whatever modicum of support the team may gain from your presence and hope to see them do the improbable and gain a victory over their chief rival? Wouldn't that be worth the 7-mile drive and the $6 entry fee? Well, at any rate, the Piqua fans tonight stayed away in droves, and I suppose those that did so weren't disappointed as they got the outcome they expected as the Trojans wore down the Indians and came away with the shutout victory. I had a feeling going in that Troy's chances of pitching a shutout were fairly high, knowing that defense is their forte and that Piqua's offense has struggled (at least since their season-opening 84-point outing over Ponitz Tech, a first-year Division VI program. Who scheduled that game?). Piqua's offense actually showed a flash here and there that maybe they were ready to put something together, but each time Troy's defense tightened the clamps and shut them down. Xavier Ford was a monster on the D-line, spending most of the night in the Indian backfield, and Kyle Terando and Chad Merkert in the secondary took care of things on the other end. There were plenty more outstanding performances, but those were the ones that stood out. Offensively, this game rested on the shoulders of senior fullback Chris Basil (13 carries, 110 yards, TD) sophomore halfback Marcus Foster (19 carries, 102 yards, TD, plus a receiving TD). Again, this was a night when everyone contributed, but those guys were clearly the stars, as the running backs tend to be for the Trojans. The rushing attack really let the offense wear Piqua's defense down, as the score was just 13-0 going into the fourth quarter. That last quarter really saw the Trojans put the game away as they just pounded on Piqua's defenders - especially as Piqua's offense couldn't hold onto the ball and keep them off the field to rest. One thing I have to say...although it was cool for the rivalry to get some exposure from the U.S. Marines Great American Rivalry Series, but I'm really not in favor, for a game like this, of keeping the kids on the field for all these postgame trophy presentations and such. Or, at the very least, let the losing team get off the field. Let the kids get into the locker room and start licking their wounds without rubbing the other team's victory in their faces. And I say that as a fan of the winning team. However, the important part of the win is that Troy now takes the lead in Ohio's most-played rivalry. After 125 meetings, the record now stands at 60-59-6 in favor of the Trojans. Troy finishes the regular season next week with a game at the 4-5 Sidney Yellow Jackets. It's hard to believe that Week 10 has rolled around so quickly. However, there is still some slim hope that the Trojans will extend their season beyond ten games. Should they come out on top next Friday, depending on the outcome of a few other games, they may yet squeak into the playoffs. It's not likely, but it's not impossible either. So here's hoping.

Trotwood-Madison 25 Troy 13

As much disdain as I hold for Trotwood's head coach/recruiting coordinator Maurice Douglass, I have to wish that he wasn't serving a suspension on this night. He's not a particularly good in-game coach (from what I've seen, which is Trotwood's one game against Troy each year), so Troy's chances probably would have been better with him in charge. Then again, the Rams didn't really need a genius to come up with their formula for success - just hand the ball to Antwan Gilbert and let him do his thing. I knew going in that Trotwood had a good rushing attack, but I felt pretty good about Troy's chances, given how strong the D has been all year against the run (Centerville game excluded, for the most part). Sure, Gilbert ran wild on us last year, but the defense is light years ahead of where it was then. However, as it turns out, he's a pretty special halfback. The Trojans were able to string him out or get to him in the backfield often enough, but they just couldn't bring him down. He'd shake off a tackle or two, then make a move and get himself up the field. I also have a feeling that Troy's defensive scheme was designed to negate Trotwood's speed, and that may have taken away from their ability to stop the run as effectively as they have so far this season; unfortunately, the very low visitors' stands at Trotwood's stadium didn't afford me a very good angle to be able to speak to that with any authority. I have to give the Trojans a lot of credit, though. They had an obvious disadvantage in terms of size and speed in this game, and yet they managed to stay in it until the very end. There's a lot of fight in this team. The unfortunate part of this loss is that it essentially ends Troy's hopes for a GWOC North championship and a berth in the Division I playoffs. On the flip side, there's still a lot to play for. For one thing, neither of those things is entirely out of the question - either one would require a lot of help, but the Trojans definitely need to win both of their remaining games to have any hope at all. They also need to win both games in order to finish with a winning record, and both games are with familiar adversaries with whom we go way back. Next week, of course, is the game that's circled on the schedule each year, regardless of records or whatever else is going on in the season. That's right, everyone: it's Piqua week. The Trojans and Indians will be butting heads for the 125th time, and that's a big deal, the respective 4-4 (Troy) and 2-6 (Piqua) records notwithstanding. The all-time series is even at 59-59-6, with the Trojans taking the last two. They'll be looking to extend that streak next Friday at Troy Memorial Stadium on the banks of the Great Miami River. Getcha popcorn ready.

Troy 14 Lebanon 7

Wet. Rainy. Chilly. Breezy. Sloppy. Muddy. And I wouldn't have missed it for anything in the world. I love games like this. I'd take 50° and raining over 72° and sunny/clear every time. If, you know, I had any say in the matter. Of course, one reason I like games like this is because they tend to favor Troy's run-heavy offense - the Trojans don't have to alter their gameplan nearly as much as other teams do to compensate for the weather. That was certainly true on this night, as the Wing-T offense was in fine form. Lebanon, on the other hand, seemed to have some trouble with the elements. What a night this was for Chris Basil. Before the game, he was named Troy's Homecoming king. During the game, the Trojans fed their fullback the ball and let him plow through Lebanon's defense. He answered with both of Troy's touchdowns and a 2-point conversion after the first. When he wasn't dashing into the endzone, he was punishing Lebanon defenders and picking up huge chunks of yardage, getting first downs and keeping the clock moving. Marcus Foster again provided a nice complement, serving as another ground-gainer that made sure the Warriors couldn't just key on Basil up the middle. Basil finished the night with 131 yards, Foster with 95. And let's not forget about QB Greg Yahle, who put up a Tyler Wright-esque 52 yards himself, often picked up when the Trojans really needed them. Of course, there's no way you can talk about this Trojan victory without giving major props to the Trojan defense, which put in another incredible night's work. Lebanon has a ton of weapons, and sure, the weather may have slowed them down, but Troy's defenders were the ones that stepped up and stopped them. Xavier Ford, in particular, was all over the field, especially in the first half. I assume the Warriors made some adjustments to slow him down in the second half, but that just led the way for other Trojans to make plays. So sure, most people watching this game may not have found it all that aesthetically pleasing, but to me, it was a thing of beauty. With the win, the Trojans find themselves at 4-3, and a berth in the Region 3 playoffs is not out of the question if they can win out. They'll take that quest on the road next week as they travel to take on Trotwood-Madison, also 4-3, in a game that will likely determine the winner of the GWOC North. Trotwood will be playing without the services of their head coach, who is serving a 4-game suspension, but I'm not sure that's a disadvantage for them. I suppose we'll find out next Friday night.

Troy 27 Vandalia Butler 6

Early on, it didn't look like this one was necessarily going to go the Trojans' way. Butler took the opening kickoff and put together a pretty impressive opening drive, draining eight minutes from the clock and working their way into Troy's red zone. It wouldn't have been terribly surprising, at that point, if they had managed to score, and who knows where the game would have gone from there? However, as the drive went on, it looked more and more like Troy's defense was adjusting. They managed to push the Aviators back out of the red zone and keep them from scoring, and it was pretty much all Trojans from there. Troy's offense has had some issues this year, struggling at times to move the ball, and thus to score points. It looked like they got some of the kinks in their Wing-T offense worked out tonight, though. Fullback Chris Basil became the first player of the season to rush for over 100 yards, the longest a Steve Nolan-coached team has ever gone into a season without a player reaching that mark. In addition, sophomore tailbacks Isaiah Williams and Marcus Foster ran for 83 and 72 yards, respectively. With QB Greg Yahle offering a threat to throw the ball as well, it seems like the offense is finally rounding into form. The defense was impressive as well, which it has been for most of the year. In particular, I was impressed tonight with how hard they were hitting. Anytime an Aviator receiver had to leave the ground to attempt a catch, they did so at their own risk. The defense also brought the lumber to Butler's quarterback on one memorable scramble attempt - the poor kid lowered his shoulder to try to run the defender over, and ended up getting trucked himself instead. The Trojans now find themselves at .500 (3-3) six games into the season. They'll be tested next week when the 5-1 Lebanon Warriors come to town. Hopefully Troy will be able to keep things rolling on both sides of the ball. UPDATE: As a sidenote, I also wanted to mention that, after the game, I went to a local restaurant to meet my wife and some friends for drinks. While there I met and got to chat with the father of a couple of former Trojan halfbacks, one of whom is a program legend and the other (pretty good in his own right) who now is an assistant coach for the team. He was a really cool guy, and it was fun to chat with him a little bit about his sons and about football in general.

Troy 14 Wayne 12

Let's get this out of the way:  yes, Wayne played without Braxton Miller, their star quarterback, who was held out of the game with a leg injury. However, the Trojans came into the game so hampered by injuries all over the field that I'd be hard pressed to say that one team held an advantage over the other in that regard. Even with Miller out, I don't think you'd have found many people who expected Troy to win this game. Shameless homer that I am, even I didn't see this coming. Offensively, this game looked, for the most part, like all the others have this year, with the exception of the Xenia game. The Trojans struggled to move the ball, and the coaches went with a conservative gameplan early on so they could work on field position and keep the defense out of bad spots as much as possible. The lone touchdown Troy was able to put up in the first half came as the result of a Wayne turnover in their own territory followed by a 30-yard desperation heave into the endzone by Troy QB Greg Yahle as time expired. Fortunately, receiver Ian Dunaway came down with the ball in the corner of the endzone, sending the Trojans into the locker room with a 7-6 lead due to a missed extra point on Wayne's TD early in the second quarter. The exception to Troy's offensive woes came in the form of a 21-play, 95-yard, 10:32 drive to finish up the third quarter and eat up most of the fourth. Fullback Chris Basil was a beast on that drive, churning his legs, pushing the pile, and trucking defenders over as he moved the Trojans forward bit by bit. Wayne did their part too, keeping the drive alive at one point by roughing the passer. When the drive was finally over, the Trojans had a 14-6 lead with just 3:52 left in the game. Where this game was won, though, was on defense. No matter how much praise is lavished on the Troy defense for this one, it isn't enough. Wayne was able to move the ball, especially running out of their spread formations, but Troy's D was able to step up and make plays when it counted. After the Trojans took a 14-6 lead, a long kickoff return put the Warriors in good position, and they were able to take the ball down the field and score. However, the Trojan defense stepped up and stuffed Wayne's ball carrier short of the goal line on their 2-point conversion attempt with 1:56 left. There was some drama after that, but that pretty much sealed the win right there. And what a win it was. This was a fantastic game to watch. Not because it was pretty - it wasn't - but because it was so close and hard fought. I remember watching a few years ago as Troy lost to Fairborn on a last-second, on-in-a-million hail-mary pass; this was the complete opposite of that. What a huge win, and a huge confidence boost for a young group, to take down a team that has been one of the best in the Dayton area over the past several years. The Trojans are now 2-3 halfway through the season (and where did that time go? I swear, football season goes by faster and faster each year) and heading into play in the GWOC North. Next week they'll host the Vandalia Butler Aviators (1-4) at Troy Memorial Stadium as they look to carry some momentum from this win into the rest of the season. While there certainly aren't any "easy" games remaining, there aren't any teams like Centerville or Wayne left the rest of the way, either. It'll be very interesting to see where these young Trojans go from here.