By Dave Morrison
Last year Midland Trail’s Jayden Roop emerged on the varsity seen in the final game of the year, announcing his presence with a 209 yard performance, with a touchdown, in a 34-20 win over Pocahontas County.
The sophomore picked up where left off on Friday night with 131 yards and three touchdowns in his team’s 22-14 win against Clay County.
“We asked a lot of Roop this game,” coach Jeremy Moore said. “We asked him to carry the ball, he played defensive end and apply pressure on the quarterback and he was on all special teams. It required a lot of mental toughness to be aware of all situations throughout the game. Being a sophomore, he exceeded our expectations. We knew he could run the ball, but to play on a high level on all phases of the game was very encouraging to see.”
Included in his numbers was a back-breaking touchdown run over over 60 yards, shown below with Trail leading 16-14 with 6:57 left in the third quarter. It as the final score of the game.
Moore added that Roop had a lot of help.
“The o line did a good job adjusting to different fronts, Will McGraw lead blocked for him most of the night and then gave Roop breaks when he carried the ball and Max White led the way,” Moore said. “Thad Brown came in on defense as a reserve and gave him breathers and we didn’t miss a beat. I know the focus will be on Roop’s night but a lot of players helped contribute to his success.
“Kaden Lephew played a great game on defense as well. He played opposite of Roop and was a force on every play. His athleticism matches Roop’s and will be a force to be reckoned with throughout the year.”
Trail will host Tolsia Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Here is Roop’s third touchdown run Friday:
