TROUP ENDS ARP’S UNBEATEN SEASON | Troup wins district opener over rival Arp, 42-6

This was our account of Arp (4-0) at No. 9 Troup (4-0), a 7:30 p.m. kickoff earlier tonight by ETBlitz.com’s Shawn Christopher of live, real-time updates. The ETBlitz crew is all over East Texas tonight, including at Kilgore’s R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium for Kilgore-Pine Tree; at Sabine’s James Bamberg Stadium for Sabine-Tatum; and more. We’ll have stories and coverage of all of our programs later on tonight right here.

Good evening, guys. Glad y’all are here. We’ll do our best to describe what’s happening, as these two rivals, Arp and Troup, open district play, both undefeated.

Arp calls tails, and loses the toss. Troup defers, so Arp will receive the ball to open the contest.

Arp begins at its own 30-yard-line, and Zane Borque starts at quarterback. Borque keeps it himself for a 6-yard gain.

On second down, though, Borque is stopped for a loss of 4, so third down coming up at the 32; specifically, it’s third and 8.

Casen Burgins gets free, a first down all the way to the Troup 39, a 27-yard gain.

Arp, keeping it on the ground as expected, gets 3 on first down, then the quarterback was thrown for a loss of 1.

The ball is at Troup’s 37, with just over 8 1/2 minutes left in the first quarter.

Burgins’ number is called again, but he’s stopped by a host of Troup players for no gain. It’s fourth down at that same spot.

Borque completes a pass for a first down to the Troup 26, to Jaxon Schminkey.

Josh Smith, Arp’s leading rusher, gets free, but only for 5, to the 21. The clock just slipped under 6 1/2 minutes left in the first quarter.

Borque picks up 2, to the 18, and its third and 2.

A 2-yard loss leaves Arp in fourth-and-4 at the Troup 20.

If Arp’s objective was to play keep-away and keep Troup’s offense on the sidelines, they did that — Borque was stopped on fourth down, a turnover on downs with five minutes left in the quarter, and the game is scoreless.

Coach Sam Wells’ Troup Tigers take over at their own 20, but a false start moves them back 5 yards.

Troup comes out with four wide receivers, and Josh Childress’ first pass is complete for 6 yards.

The next play: an empty backfield, and Childress goes long, a first-down pass to their own 35.

Hollie gets only a yard on first down, and on second and 9, Childress aims for James Pierce, but it’s incomplete.

Childress, on third-and-9 from their own 35, is sacked, and Troup is forced to punt after a 5-yard loss.

Arp has the ball back after the punt, and in a three-receiver set, it’s a sack by Cade Starkey, his fourth of the season. It’s third-and-long at Arp’s own 19-yard-line.

Wow, it’s Starkey AGAIN, another sack! Troup has ended Arp’s second drive quickly. But the first quarter is gone. Arp punts, but Troup’s going to take over at Arp’s 37. These two teams just played a 19-minute first quarter, and we’re scoreless in Troup.

Wait: on the last play of the first quarter, Childress found Pierce, a 37-yard pass, and it’s a TOUCHDOWN, TROUP. Anthony Zuniga misses the extra point, though, and Troup leads, 6-0, as we get set to begin the second quarter.

Arp begins its next drive at its own 25, and after a loss on first down, it’s a loss of 2 on second down, as well. Arp is in third and long, as Borque remains at quarterback. It’s an incomplete pass, and another fourth-down situation. Arp’s going to have to punt.

And they do. Troup takes over at its own 47, with 10:14 left in the half.

Brett Wells picks up 13 yards, to Arp’s 40, on first down. Pierce makes a catch for 9, to the 31, to set up a second-and-1.

Dee Hollie gets a first down, then Childress completes to Pierce for another, all the way to Arp’s 7.

Wells gets only a yard on a run play on first down, and then on second down, Wells gets in from 6 yards out, a TOUCHDOWN, TROUP, and then a two-point conversion puts Troup up by two scores, 14-0,

The Tigers — Arp’s version — begin at their 25, under eight minutes left in the half. Arp’s game is running the ball, but down two touchdowns, and Troup’s defensive alignment, this is not playing into Arp’s preference.

Arp, in Troup territory, keeps it on the ground, and from Troup’s 25, a yard gain on first down.

It’s the two-minute time out, with Troup up, 14-0.

On third down from Troup’s 22, Arp is short by 2 yards of the first down. It’s fourth and 7, and the field goal kick is blocked.

Troup gets the ball, already leading 14-0, and simply kneels the clock out on the first half. Troup is one half away from moving to 5-0. We’ll be back momentarily.

Finally under way in the third quarter, with Arp, again, down 14-0. Troup has the ball first in this half.

Troup’s Childress goes long to Pierce in the first minute of the half, and it’s incomplete but there’s a pass interference call on Arp. That’s 15 yards, and gives Troup the ball at Arp’s 47.

On third and 2, an incomplete pass from Childress to Cam Hollie, and it’s a short fourth-down upcoming.

Troup successfully draws Arp offsides, and it’s a free play: Childress goes downfield to Pierce and it’s complete, to the Arp 7.

Pierce scores for Troup, and they are now in front of Arp, 21-0. There’s 9:13 left in the third quarter, as Arp takes possession after the kickoff at its own 34.

It’s a short one: Troup is called for holding, but it’s during the punt, and takes over at its own 21. Pierce gets another first down, at the Troup Tigers’ own 35, with under 6 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter.

Oh, wow, on the very next play: a 75-yard touchdown run by Wells. Zuniga hits the point after, and Troup leads 28-0, midway through the third.

Arp fails to score, but Troup doesn’t, another score, this time a touchdown pass from Childress to Cam Hollie, and now, with 3:10 left in the third quarter, it’s 35-0 Troup.

Arp, back with the ball at its own 38, has a quarterback change. Ty Langley comes in at quarterback, but it’s an incomplete pass, and fourth down.

The Tigers, the Arp version, punts, and Troup has it back. There’s 2:36 left in the third quarter, and Troup has made this showdown — well, not a showdown, leading 35-0.

My gosh, Childress is losing his mind: it’s another touchdown pass, a 75-yarder to Dee Hollie for a TOUCHDOWN, TROUP. Zuniga hits the point after and a 42-0 Troup lead, and it’s looking like they’ve successfully defended that ranking of No. 9 in the Dave Campbell’s Texas Football state 3A-Division II poll.

And it’s a final in Troup, 42-6 with Troup over Arp. We’ll have more of a true story later here on ETBlitz.com.