Patrick accounts for 5 scores as sluggish Golden Lions pull away for easy win

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, August 31, 2018 | 10:54 PM

Greensburg Salem looked and played sluggish in the first half of Friday’s WPIAL Class 4A Big 8 Conference opener against Trinity at Offutt Field.

But an inspiring halftime speech ignited a big third quarter, and the Golden Lions rebounded from a tough season-opening loss to Hempfield with a 41-13 victory against Trinity.

Golden Lions junior quarterback Trent Patrick accounted for five touchdowns — three passing and two rushing — to lead the attack.

He rushed for a team-high 88 yards on six carries and scored both of his rushing touchdowns (26 and 39 yards) in the third quarter when the Golden Lions erupted for 20 points and took a commanding 34-6 lead into the fourth quarter.

“We talked to them at halftime about what we wanted to establish,” Greensburg Salem coach Dave Keefer said. “It was a little pep talk. I thought we played physical at times in the first half, but also felt we were trying to find our feet a little.

“We looked at what our blocking scheme was becasue Jon (Miller, Trinity coach) does a good job defensively. We made a few adjustments. We tweaked our scheme, and Trent made some good plays in the passing game.”

Despite the sluggish first half, the Golden Lions (1-1, 1-0) still took a 14-0 lead as Patrick tossed a 37-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Williams and a 21-yard strike, off a scramble, to Cavan Trout.

He opened the third quarter with a 26-yard dash to the end zone to stretch the lead to 20-0.

“Trent missed on one pass, but he grew up,” Keefer said. “I was disappointed how we played in the first half. We played much better in the second half.”

Trinity cut the Golden Lions’ lead to 20-6 in the third quarter when sophomore quarterback Kaden Kolson connected on consecutive passes (62 and 21 yards) to Marquese Lacks for a touchdown.

Kolson completed 8 of 20 passes for 175 yards for Trinity (0-1, 0-1).

But a 63-yard run by Dajauhn Hertzog set up a 4-yard pass to Aaren Putt, and late in the third quarter after the Golden Lions held on downs, Patrick raced 39 yards to make it 34-6.

“I could tell we weren’t up for the game in pregame,” Williams said. “Coach hyped us up in the locker room at halftime. Coaches got on us in pregame.”

Williams had two catches for 42 yards, three pass defended and returned a kickoff 65 yards in the fourth quarter to set up Alexander Briggs 5-yard touchdown run.

“We came together as a team in the second half,” Patrick said. “We knew we had to pick it up in the second half, and we did and that’s what good teams do and we want to be a good team.”

Paul Schofield is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Paul at pschofield@tribweb.com or via Twitter @Schofield_Trib.

Tags: Greensburg Salem, Trinity