North Hardin Comes Up Short against DeSales!
Maybe it doesn’t mean anything because the North Hardin Trojans have come up a little short against two of the best teams in Class 2-A and Class 3-A or that they were unable to make the plays when they needed to or the missed opportunities they squandered in both games against DeSales or Boyle County, but the fact that they were actually in a position to either tie or win both games after being on a running clock last year against those teams should say something about the improvement that this team has made under head coach Brent Thompson.
With the news during that week that Northeast (Clarksville) TN was forced to forfeit their first five games because of an ineligible player used, the Trojans 5-0 start was their best since 2016 when they started 4-0 before going 2-5 the rest of the way and although offense is a big reason why, many point to the improved defense which allowed 48-points in their two losses to Boyle County and DeSales, but limited both teams to just seven points totaled in the second half. The Trojans have been tough against the run and most stingy when opponents get in the red zone. Against the Colts, the Trojans were able to slow down their running game and tried to limit their quarterback Aaron Pfaadt to dump offs and tried to control him in the pocket. Pfaadt did hurt North Hardin late in the game when North Hardin had cut the lead to 27-24 and needed the ball back with a little over 5:00 remaining in the game, but on a third and long, Pfaadt escaped on a rollout to the left and scramble for a first down.
That allowed DeSales to hold on to the ball until surrendering with less than two minutes left and quarterback Eric Moore’s long pass to the left sideline was intercepted ending the threat. That was one of the few mistakes Moore had made during a super senior season thus far. Moore’s prime target so far has been younger brother Josh Moore who has pulled in 41 aerials for 820-yards and 14 touchdowns some of the long ball variety. Against the Colts, the Moore-to-Moore connection was good for 8-hookups for 144-yards and 3-TDs. More than on one occasion have the two connected on scoring plays covering 60 or more yards. Thanks to Moore’s soft touch on deep passes, the long bomb has become a staple of the Trojan attack along with a running game which has slowly and surely kept the team’s offense very tough to predict at times. With runners Lavell Wright (673-yards / 9-TDS), Ellijah Banks (257-yards) and Ramaj Adams (57-yards) fueling the ground game, head coach Brent Thompson can call a balanced attack which has accounted for 202-points in seven games, but once again it comes back to the defense which has been consistant this year allowing only 128-points this year against a tough schedule. The D-Line is big and strong and according to some opponents blocks out the sun (or the moon on Friday Nights). With just three games left for North Hardin, all three opponents below .500 records the Trojans should be a threat once the playoffs start and then maybe the 6-A team from Radcliff won’ be the best kept secret in Kentucky.
