The Alexandria Trojan defense turned in a dominating performance Thursday night as the Trojans improved to 2-0 on the season with a 57-0 dismantling of Union.
Alexandria held the Farmers to just 50 yards of total offense, allowing just three first downs and dominating the line of scrimmage against a program known for grinding out first downs.
While the Trojan defense was continually forcing three-and-outs, the Trojans hit big play after big play on offense and special teams, invoking the mercy-rule running clock in the second quarter for the second time in as many games.
The junior combination of quarterback Karsen Sellers and receiver Alex Fontenot connected for a second straight 100-yard performance and two touchdowns, giving them five so far on the season.
Sophomore running back Kason Williams scored a rushing touchdown and returned a punt for a score, while the Trojans also got a special-teams touchdown on a blocked punt.
Williams finished off the Trojans’ first drive with a 2-yard score after fellow sophomore Noble Williams set him up with a fantastic 34-yard run.
The Farmers (0-2) were gifted a golden opportunity to answer that score when ASH muffed a punt that was recovered in Trojan territory. However, the Trojan defense forced a missed field goal, and the Farmers would not cross midfield the rest of the game.
Sellers, who completed 8 of 12 passes for 187 yards, all in the first half, threw touchdown passes on each of the Trojans’ next three drives. He connected with Fontenot on a slant route that went 70 yards for a score, then found junior safety/slot receiver Ja’Kyrin Griffin, taking his first offensive snaps of the season, on a swing pass that he took for a 49-yard score to put the Trojans ahead 21-0.
After ASH forced another three-and-out, the fourth of nine Union drives that would last three plays or less, Kason Williams made up for his earlier special-teams miscue, catching a punt on the run and returning it for a 56-yard touchdown. Williams finished with 117 all-purpose yards and two scores.
“In the beginning of the game we got a punt, but I fumbled it,” Kason Williams said. “After I fumbled it, everybody was like keep your head up, we’re gonna get it back. After I caught the other punt, I was like I’ve got to take it back to the end zone.”
Another connection between Sellers and Fontenot, this one a 44-yarder on a deep ball down the right sideline, gave the Trojans a 35-0 lead. Fontenot finished with four receptions for 128 yards and two scores, giving him 257 receiving yards and five TDs on the season.
The Trojans got the clock running late in the first half when junior safety Letravious Williams blocked a Union punt and junior linebacker Jackson Townsend scooped up the ball and fell into the end zone.
“We came into this game with a goal of creating turnovers on defense and scoring on defense,” Letravious Williams said. “Great defenses score on defense, so our goal really was to score so to be able to execute that felt good.”
Alexandria forced a fumble on Union’s first offensive snap of the second half and got touchdowns from backup running backs Darren Ross and Lavno Ross along with a defensive safety.
The Trojans, ranked No. 7 in the Louisiana Sports Writers Association poll, have outscored their first two opponents 111-7, but they get their first major test of the season next week when they travel south for a top-10 matchup against ninth-ranked Destrehan.
“I know they’re a really good team and we’ve just got to come out and compete if we want to win,” Kason Williams said.