NEW HOPE — “It feels great, man.”
New Hope senior Lonnie Shinn Jr. couldn’t contain his happiness after the team’s 42-7 Senior Night victory over Lafayette on Friday. It secured the Trojans’ eighth win of the season, something that felt very far away after an 0-10 season in 2023, but Shinn and the other seniors helped to change the culture under first-year head coach Allen Glenn. It’s been a well-deserved season of success that has New Hope on the cusp of taking the No. 1 seed in the Class 5A playoffs.
“It’s an important night,” Shinn continued, “it’s Senior Night and we were able to get the win on our field. We’ve actually never beaten Lafayette in school history, this is the first time.”
“Shoutout to our kids,” Glenn said. “I’ve said all year, and I know it’s coachspeak but for us it was about going 1-0 each week. Lafayette is a talented team, but our kids know what the standard is. I’m proud of them for coming out and fighting tonight.”
The Trojans took command of the game early. Quarterback Tyrekus Brooks capped the opening drive with the first of his three rushing touchdowns on the night and the offense never looked back.
The offense scored on five straight possessions, aided by a shutdown defensive effort that forced a fumble on Lafayette’s only drive into Trojan territory in the first half.
“Our defense flies, man,” Shinn said. “They bring the energy every week and we love it. The defense and the offense, we just do it together to get the job done.”
A 35-0 lead at halftime saw the game all but finished, but the Trojans didn’t leave any doubt with another drive to finish things off in the second half and keep the clock running.
“I told them at halftime I was proud of how we came out,” Glenn said. “We’ve won games a lot of different ways, and tonight we took hold of the first half with a lead. I wanted to make sure the first drive coming out in the second half we got to the end zone again, and they did.”
The Trojans have another difficult road test to close out the season next week, traveling to face West Point in a battle for the region title and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. The Green Wave (6-3) are the defending 5A state champions, a program with seven championships in the last 15 years, and seven straight victories over the Trojans. It’s a fitting final regular season challenge for the Trojans, who aren’t taking their success for granted as they embrace the moment. For them, it’s another week to go 1-0.
“I’m proud of these guys,” Glenn said. “We’re excited about the opportunity to go on the road next week, a division-championship atmosphere, and a tradition-rich program in West Point. We’re excited for it.”
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