Troup holds off Hardaway in football opener 31-28

After a productive night, it was only fitting that Troup wide receiver Jamari Thrash finished the job.

Thrash was a major part of a passing attack that gave Hardaway fits on Friday. Up 31-28 late in the final minutes, Troup quarterback Montez Crowe found Thrash deep down the sideline on a third down that moved the chains and sealed the game.

Play of the Game: Hardaway appeared to be sitting pretty after a 13-play scoring drive that lasted midway through the fourth quarter to put the Hawks ahead 31-28. Troup struggled initially on the ensuing drive until it sliced the Hardaway secondary, which was a common theme of Friday’s game. Thrash reeled in a 16-yard touchdown with 7:33 to go, a play that decided the close contest.

Player of the game: Though it came in a losing effort, Jaron Early proved to be a do-it-all player for the Hawks on Friday. The junior scored the first three of the Hawks’ touchdowns, with two on the ground and one on a reception. His second score, a 19-yard run, saw Early do everything but lose his balance as he stumbled down the goal line.

Other observations: Hardaway head coach Michael Woolridge said before the season that senior running back Marco Lee would be the player the offense ran through, and he wasn’t exaggerating. Lee took 33 carries for 150 yards in the season opener. His biggest run came on a pivotal 4th-and-3 in the fourth quarter, when he took the hand-off straight up the middle to keep the Hawks alive.

This story was originally published August 17, 2017 at 10:20 PM with the headline "Troup holds off Hardaway in football opener 31-28."