NTL FOOTBALL: A FIRST QUARTER BLITZ LEADS TROY PAST WELLSBORO (2025-10-04)
BY CHRIS MANNINGNorthern Tier Sports ReportTROY — Mason Smith’s 90-yard kick-off return for a touchdown to open the game set the tone for Troy as they continued to romp through the NTL, beating Wellsboro 53-7 in football action Friday.
Troy racked up five first quarter touchdowns on just 19 offensive snaps in 8:15 as they built a 46-0 first half lead.
“I felt like we played clean tonight, and got a lot of young guys in and rotated through,” said Troy coach Jim Smith. “I’m really most proud of our rotation of guys, and what they were able to do throughout.”
Brendan Gilliland had three touchdowns and 122-yards rushing off of five carries while Spencer Martin had a 33-yard touchdown run. Evan Allen and Jayden Kutt also had scoring runs while Gavin Lykon-Leffler split the uprights on a 37-yard field goal.
Smith ran the ball five times for 37-yards, Kael Millard had four carries for 31-yards, and Kutt ran the ball five times for 28-yards.
Smith was 4-for-6 for 40-yards through the air, with Josiah Peseksy hauling in two receptions for 21-yards.
Defensively, Troy held Wellsboro to just 54 total yards in the first half while Millard, Seth Feldmeier, and James Roy all had sacks on the day.
“It was really important tonight because, after our Athens game, we were really exploited,” Smith said. “We felt like this team did a lot of similar things, and put up big numbers here a week ago against a good team. We really focused all week on making our defense the focus, and I was very happy tonight.”
Troy had their hands team on to start the game but Wellsboro kicked it deep to Smith. He found a seam across the middle of the field and took it to the house, putting Troy up 7-0 after Lykon-Leffler’s kick with 11:45 on the first quarter clock.
After a Wellsboro 3-and-out Troy took over at the Hornet 40-yard line and needed just seven plays to get into the end zone.
A pair of nine yard runs by Gilliland and Smith set up Gilliland’s 4-yard touchdown run, making it 14-0 after Lykon-Leffler’s kick with 7:48 on the clock.
Troy forced another Hornet 3-and-out, this time getting the ball at their own 26-yard line.
Gilliland scored again, the time a 52-yard run to the house, with Lykon-Leffler’s kick making it 21-0 with four minutes left in the opening quarter.
The key play was a third down hook-up between Smith and Pesesky for a new set of downs.
Another Wellsboro 3-and-out set up Troy at the Wellsboro 32-yard line. Four plays later Gilliland punched it in from 5-yard out, a score set up by a Millard 18-yard run.
A muffled hold forced Martin to improvise and he found Smith for the 2-point conversion for a 29-0 lead with 1:16 on the clock.
On Wellsboro’s first play from scrimmage Pesesky hauled in an interception at midfield. Two plays into Troy’s next drive Martin reversed field and scampered 33-yards to the end zone, making it 36-0 after Lykon-Leffler’s kick with 42.5 seconds left in the opening quarter.
The Hornets would get their first first down of the game on their ensuing drive as they got deep inside Troy territory but ultimately turned it over on downs.
Starting at their own 15-yard line Gilliland took the first snap 52-yards to the Wellsboro 28-yard line. Four plays later Kutt finished off the drive with a 1-yard run for a 43-0 lead with 5:51 on the clock in the second quarter.
Troy would get one final first half possession with 4:35 to play. They chipped their way down field, but the drive stalled out at the Wellsboro 20.
That’s when they sent out Lykon-Leffler, who nailed the field goal attempt with no time left for the 46-0 lead at the break.
In the second half the teams traded a pair of empty drives each, with Wellsboro breaking through when Griffin Morral hit Gideon Lawton for a 32-yard scoring strike. Finn Matthews hit the point after for a 46-7 ball game.
Troy answered on their ensuing possession as they went 96-yards on seven plays to score on an Allen 1-yard plunge.
A 43-yard run from Hunter Watson got them out of the shadow of their own goal-line, then a 33-yard run by Landon Cole three snaps later made it first-and-goal.
Lykon-Leffler’s kick made it a 53-7 final.
Morral was 9-for-24 for 109-yards on the day while Marek Mascho ran the ball four times for 40-yards, and had three catches for 40-yards.
Troy (6-1) will host North Penn-Mansfield on Friday.
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TROY 53, WELLSBORO 7
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
T: Mason Smith 90-yard kick-off return (Gavin Lykon-Leffler kick), 11:45
T: Brendan Gilliland 4-yard run (Lykon-Leffler), 7:48
T: Brendan Gilliland 53-yard run (Lykon-Leffler), 4:00
T: Brendan Gilliland 5-yard run (Martin pass to Smith), 1:16
T: Spencer Martin 33-yard run (Lykon-Leffler), :42.5
Second Quarter
T: Jayden Kutt 1-yard run (Lykon-Leffler), 5:51
T: Gavin Lykon-Leffler 37-yard field goal, :00
Fourth Quarter
W: Griffin Morral 32-yard pass to Gideon Lawton (Finn Matthews kick), 9:37
T: Evan Allen 1-yard run (Lykon-Leffler), 5:45
Individual Stats
Wellsboro
Rushing
Griffin Morral 6 - (-10), Marek Mascho 4-40, Max Mascho 1-1, Dylan Copp 2-3, Colton Hauser 6-21
Passing
Griffin Morral 9-24-109-1-1, Derrick Blasz 0-2-0-0-0
Receiving
Max Mascho 2-7, Marek Mascho 3-40, Gideon Lawton 2-38-1, Kody Enck 1-4, Ethan Keane 1-20
Troy
Rushing
Brendan Gilliland 5-122-3, Mason Smith 5-37, Kael Millard 4-31, Spencer Martin 1-33-1, Logan Heasley 1-5, Landon Cole 2-41, Evan Allen 5-14-1, Hunter Watson 8-63, Bridon Putnam 3-11, Jayden Kutt 5-28-1, Team 2-(-2)
Passing
Mason Smith 4-6-40-0-0, Spencer Martin 1-2-3-0-0
Receiving
Kael Millard 1-14, Josiah Pesesky 2-21, Roland Smith 1-5, Trey Teribury 1-3
Team Stats Wellsboro Troy
Rushes/Yards 19/55 39/387
Passing Yards 109 43
First Downs 10 21
Penalties/Yards 5/19 3/15
Fumbles/Lost 1/0 2/0
Interceptions: Troy - Josiah Pesesky
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PHOTOS BY CHRIS MANNING— —
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