Troy quarterback Kirkpatrick got the Trojans off on the right foot with this 69-yard touchdown run against Xenia. (Press Pros Feature Photos)
Desperately needing a Friday win to right the Trojan ship and atone for a disappointing loss at Middletown, Troy turned to senior quarterback Aiden Kirkpatrick to lead the way. He didn’t disappoint.
Troy, OH – Someone wrote to us last week, asking…do you always have to run for 200 yards, or score five touchdowns, to get the ‘Who’s Hot’ recognition on Press Pros?
And here’s your answer.
Troy High School quarterback Aiden Kirkpatrick is proof that all you need, sometimes, is to lead. And that did the trick to earn this week’s ‘Who’s Hot’ recognition following their Friday 24-14 win over Xenia.
“He’s going to make great plays for you, and then he punts, he kicks, and he does it all, he’s a tremendous advantage to have,” Troy coach Troy Everhart said following the Xenia game. “He’s the best player in the league, hands down.”
Sure enough, Kirkpatrick just about did it all – 123 yards on 16 carries, with a long of 69 yards and a touchdown – in a game that Troy desperately needed to win to gain confidence and leverage for this week’s game with West Carrollton and eight straight against MVL opponents.
“I tell him, go win us a game,” added Everhart to our Press Pros coverage man, Jeff Gilbert. “And he can.”
His 69-yard touchdown came on the second play from scrimmage, through a gaping hole in the line, and Kirkpatrick and the Trojans never looked back.
“Once you get that lead it’s hard for them to come back,” he said, post-game. “And our line did outstanding. The hole was so big I could have drove (or driven) my car through it. It was amazing.”
It’s been a while since Troy has added a conference title to the trophy case outside the gymnasium on Staunton Road. But with a fortunate upcoming league schedule – West Carrollton, Piqua, Fairborn, and Stebbin – prior to their conference showdown with new county rival Tipp on October 17, Kirkpatrick’s weekly leadership and experience certainly adds a different element of competitive intrigue within the North (or Miami) Division of the Miami Valley League. In two games he’s accounted for 440 yards of total offense along with five touchdowns – three passing and two rushing.
Everhart has some high expectations.
“We’ve got a good locker room, captains and leadership,” he added, post-Xenia. “It’s been a point of emphasis all off-season.”
But they’re not higher than Kirkpatrick’s, it’s safe to say. You’d expect it from “the league’s best player, hands down.” He didn’t run for 200 yards, or score five touchdowns. He did just enough.
Congratulations to the Trojans and Aiden Kirkpatrick, this week’s ‘Who’s Hot’ honoree on Press Pros.
On behalf of sponsor, the St. Henry Bank, Press Pros is happy to recognize this week’s ‘Who’s Hot’ honoree, Aiden Kirkpatrick, from Troy High School.