Wayne 49 Troy 7

As the final score indicates, there really isn't a whole lot to talk about as far as the game is concerned. So let's spend a few minutes first talking about pet peeves. (And no, I'm not going to talk about Friday afternoon Columbus traffic for a change, although I could. Oh, I could.)

First pet peeve: being charged for parking. Dear Wayne: you have a giant parking lot that can accommodate everyone who comes to the game. Charging people $2 to park in said giant parking lot is just a blatant money grab, especially when there aren't really any other parking options. Moreover, this parking lot is part of a public high school. How can you even justify a parking charge? You can't. Stop doing it.

(They also charge $5 for a program. Come on. It's too much.)

Second pet peeve: stadium seats. Ironic given their name, but I don't think these abominations should even be allowed into stadiums. Okay, so that's a little harsh, if you're going to use them, maybe don't come in and set them up directly in front of someone who's claimed a spot in the row behind you. You don't seem to care, but that person has knees, and putting that stadium seat in front of them means they're going to have to contort themselves into some unreasonably uncomfortable position, or else say "screw it" and just let those knees bore into the back of your seat. So, yeah. If you need/want a stadium seat, please find a relatively open area to locate yourself.

Although it didn't come into play tonight, it's the same deal with umbrellas. You bring an umbrella into a stadium, all you're doing is blocking the view of the people behind you, and dripping on them as well. If you're coming to a game where rain might be a factor, do everyone a favor and invest in a poncho or raincoat.

Third pet peeve: the running clock rule. For those who may not be aware, last year the OHSAA instituted a new rule that dictates a running clock for any game in which the point differential is 30 points or greater in the second half. The score of this game was 49-0 at halftime, so the running clock was in effect for the entire second half. I'm not vehemently opposed to the rule itself (although I was when it started; I've come around) - I just think it needs to be tweaked. I think the clock should still stop under all the normal circumstances - first downs, incompletions, runner going out of bounds, etc. - and then the clock can be restarted once the ball is marked ready for play. I get shortening blowouts, but I just don't think the clock should move if a play can't be run.

Fourth pet peeve: Troy playing Wayne at all. I may or may not have written about this before, but the story goes like this. In the mid to late 1990s, when Troy was the dominant football power in the Dayton area and Wayne was nowhere near what they've become, I'm given to understand that a series of games was scheduled between the two teams, and Wayne backed out of it, wanting no part of Ryan Brewer and Matt Dallman and the smashmouth attack the Trojans were using to steamroll teams at the time. Now that the tables are turned, though, the Trojans show up and take their medicine when Wayne shows up on the schedule, which they do an inordinate amount of the time, and I suppose that goes to show...well, something, although I'm not sure what.

Now! That story may or may not be true, and even if it is, it's probably no longer relevant. Jay Minton has been Wayne's coach for a long time, but I'm not sure if he was there when all that allegedly went down, and I know Troy's athletic and football administrations have turned over more than once in the interim. It's probably time for me to get over it, but I haven't yet.

In fact, when this game was played last year at Troy Memorial Stadium, I opted out, choosing instead to stay in town and go see the Kilbourne Wolves play instead. As that game ended in a 54-0 blowout in favor of Wayne, I'd say I made the right choice. Part of me wishes I had done it again this year. I didn't expect a win (although I never rule them out), but I went in hopes that they would find a way to make things interesting, even if only for a while. Those hopes were in vain; Troy was never in this one. Wayne's offensive and defensive lines were just as impressive as Miamisburg's last week, and Wayne has a full stable of ridiculous athletes to complement those lines at the skill positions. One of those athletes was quarterback Messiah DeWeaver; frankly, I had enough of him when he played for Trotwood. On the bright side, now that he's transferred to Wayne, at least he's out of the way in Week 4 and we don't have to see him again in divisional conference play.

It's now been two ugly losses in a row for Troy, but take heart, Trojan fans. The schedule from this point on should be a lot more evenly matched (I'm not sure what Trotwood has, but I can't help but feel that they're on their way back to the pack). Next week, the Trojans return home to Troy Memorial Stadium for just the second time this season, where they'll take on the Xenia Buccaneers, who earned their first win of the season tonight. I'll be there with a cadre of my old classmates, as the THS Class of 1995 descends upon the town to celebrate a 20-year reunion. Watch out, Troy.