General | August 24, 2018 | 22:08

DETROIT — Should it matter who produces as long as the end result is favorable? Ask Trenton head coach Bob Czarnecki.

He saw some unsung heroes, not his stars, step up in the waning seconds Friday and they made the final difference in Trenton's 27-21 comeback win over Downriver League rival Allen Park at the 14th annual Xenith Prep Kickoff Classic at Wayne State University.

Senior linebacker Trae Rickman stopped Allen Park junior Nico Tiberia at the Trenton 3 yard line with 12 seconds left, then fellow senior linebacker Sam Suave intercepted a pass in the end zone with two ticks remaining to seal the deal for the Trojans (1-0), who defeated Allen Park for the second straight year after eight straight losses to the Jaguars.

"We don't care who gets the job done. We just want someone to step up and make the play. That's what we teach," said Czarnecki. "We had two nice defensive stops at the end there. And Jay Solano was great today. He's a very good quarterback. We also had some sort of a running game today and we didn't really have that as much last year." 

Solano, Trenton's senior quarterback who passed for more than 2,000 yards as a junior, orchestrated two fourth-quarter touchdown drives to help the Trojans take the lead for good.

Solano found Tyler Rehbein for a 36-yard touchdown pass with 7:03 remaining in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 21-21.

Solano hooked up with senior Gabe Doree for the go-ahead touchdown pass with 4:39 to play, this time for 29 yards. Goree's extra point attempt was blocked. 

Solano finished 17-for-28 passing for 358 yards and three touchdown passes to earn the Game Most Outstanding Player honors. Evan Adams added 75 yards on 16 carries for Trenton.

"That's my guy," said Solano of Goree catching the go-ahead touchdown pass. "We did this last year and we're always on the same page. He caught that one and we were able to take the lead."

Allen Park (0-1) took a 21-14 lead with 7:47 to play in the third when Tiberia, the Jaguars' Game MOP, scored on a 26-yard TD sprint. Allen Park failed to score on its final three drives.

"We have to learn how to convert on (chances) like this," said Allen Park coach Tom Danosky. "We had a chance to get one in there at the end and credit to their guy for making the play. We'll have to review film and see what we did wrong there. We'll have to get better and get ready for our next opponent."

Trenton opened the scoring a 9-play, 80-yard drive which was capped with Solano hitting a streaking Brendan Matusik down the middle for 50-yard TD pass with 8:40 to open the scoring.

Evan Adams added 1-yard plunge with 9:30 to go in the half for a 14-0 Trenton advantage. The play was set up by a 58-yard heave by Solano to Adams.

Allen Park answered the bell by scoring on two consecutive drives. 

Following a fumble recovered by Cole Premtaj at the Trenton 23, three plays later Nick Arnoldy connected with Jakob Marsee for a 16-yard TD strike with 2:24 left in the half.

Forcing Trenton to turn the ball over on downs, the Arnoldy to Marsee duo hooked up again on a 63-yard scoring toss 1:15 before the break. John Klein's second extra point tied the game at 14-14 at the half. 

Tiberia, who finished with 97 rushing yards on 21 carries to go along with 58 receiving yards, gave Allen Park its first lead at 21-14 when he scampered 26 yards down the left side for the score with 7:47 left in the third quarter.
 
BOX SCORE
TRENTON 27
ALLEN PARK 21
 

	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	F
T	7	7	0	13	27
AP	0	14	7	0	21

SCORING DRIVES
1st Quarter
T — Jay Solano to Brendan Matusik 50-yard TD pass (8:40), Gabe Doree PAT, 7-0
2nd Quarter
T — Evan Adams 1-yard touchdown run (9:30), Doree PAT, 14-0
AP — Nick Arnoldy to Jakob Marsee 16-yard touchdown pass (2:24), John Klein PT, 14-7
AP — Arnoldy to Marsee 63-yard touchdown pass (1:15), Klein PAT, 14-14
3rd Quarter
AP — Nico Tiberia 26-yard touchdown run (7:47), Klein PAT, 21-14
4th Quarter
T — Solano to Tyler Rehben 36-yard touchdown pass (7:03), Goree PAT, 21-21
T— Solano to Doree 29-yard touchdown pass (4:39), PAT missed, 27-21

RECORDS — Trenton 1-0; Allen Park 0-1