Service leads Trinity's 2nd-half comeback to beat Hanover in D2 football playoffs

MANCHESTER - Whenever Trinity High School quarterback Ollie Service gets the ball in his hands, he doesn’t fail to put on a magic show.

Turn a screen play into a touchdown pass over half the length of the field? Check.

Lose the ball on the way to the ground and grab it in mid-air? Oh yes.

For his final trick, Service disappeared into the defensive line for what should have been a 2-yard play. Instead the quarterback snuck through the line and a tackle to run 81-yards for No. 2 Trinity’s longest and final score of a 41-28 win Friday night over No. 7 Hanover in the Division II quarterfinals.

Service did a little bit of everything on offense, rushing for four touchdowns and passing for another. His presence proved necessary to erase a first-half deficit against the Bears (5-5).

Down six at halftime, the Pioneers (9-1) rebounded from multiple first half mistakes to take over the second half against as Trinity advanced to the semifinals in D2 for the second year in a row.

“It was kind of scary at halftime," Trinity coach Rob Cathcart said. "We found ourselves in a hole. I was concerned. But then they played tough defense and dug down. Ollie also rose from the dead and got some things done.”

For a portion of the game, it seemed Trinity’s hopes took a hit. On the second drive, Service slid on a run and hit his head on the turf, shaking him up and forcing him to the sidelines.

While wide receiver Davey Durepo filled in and scored on a 13-yard touchdown run two plays later to take the lead, the mountain the Bears had to climb looked like it got a little bit easier.

Defensive back Roy Lucas opened the second quarter intercepting Durepo. Lucas then turned around and caught a 41-yard pass from quarterback EJ Frechette, setting the Bears up on the goal line.

Senior John Taylor punched the ball in two plays later to put Hanover on the board.

Service returned to action on Trinity’s next drive, looking to make something happen. He completed a pass to Conor Bishop that looked to be close to the first down. But as Bishop went to the ground, the ball slipped from his grasp and Hanover’s Brennan O’Toole pounced on the fumble, giving his team possession.

The Bears then went back to what they did best, handing the ball off to Taylor. Four carries later, he cracked through Trinity’s defense for a 10-yard run to give Hanover a 14-8 lead.

“We knew they were going to be good," Cathcart said. "They run the ball well. They are shifty. They are a dangerous team. Their coach has done a nice job. We were concerned and they showed us everything we were concerned about."

Very little stopped Taylor on the ground, not even a torn jersey nor an injured thumb. Even after having to switch his number from 24 to 42, all the Pioneers knew who to watch. The senior ran for 161 yards on 37 carries.

“Jon Taylor was fighting through a lot," Hanover coach Jon Gentine said. "But he’s done that all season. Every game he puts his body on the line. He puts everything on the line for the team. But he continued to fight."

Taylor led the charge on another scoring drive and Hanover went into halftime up 21-15.

After the break, the Pioneers cleaned up their game and showed why they were the No. 2 seed in the playoffs.

The defense forced punts on all three of Hanover’s possessions in third quarter. Service scored on a run at goal line and then on a 33-yard scramble up the right sideline. Trinity felt the weight lifted off its shoulders, leading 28-21 going into the fourth quarter.

“This is playoff football," Service said. "We were expecting a dog fight. We had to come out in the second half with more energy."

The quarterback completed 7 of 9 passes for 101 yards, including a 65-yard touchdown pass in the first half that started as a basic screen to Durepo.

“I was just ready to go. I wanted to play as a team and get some points on the board,” Service said on getting back into the game.

He ran for this third touchdown, from 55 yards out, with 6:57 left in the fourth quarter and finished the game with 256 yards on 17 carries. Even his 81-yard QB sneak-turned touchdown was not the first time he made most of the short yardage this season.

“He’s shown us that level at other points in the season," Cathcart said. "He just showed us Ollie level. When he’s at that, it’s dangerous."

Trinity will host a semifinal game next weekend against either No. 3 Plymouth or No. 6 Kingswood, who play Saturday at 1 p.m. at Plymouth.